Council pledge £2m to revamp of Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
Liverpool City Council has agreed to contribute £2m towards the renovation of the city orchestra's concert hall.
The revamp of Liverpool Philharmonic Hall will cost £11.5m and the council hope its contribution will encourage private investment.
The Grade II listed venue was built in 1939 for the orchestra.
Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said it was "a jewel in the city's cultural crown but in need of significant refurbishment".
Liverpool Philharmonic hopes the renovation of the hall will be finished by 2015, in time for concerts to celebrate its 175th year.
The hall, which holds a maximum audience of 1,800, is owned by the council.
The orchestra's chief executive Michael Eakin said it was "grateful for the city's support of our capital development ambitions for an iconic venue".
"It will help us lever very substantial match investment into the city to maintain part of its historic built environment and enable Liverpool Philharmonic to continue to build on our successes of recent years."
The council's contribution, which was agreed at a cabinet meeting, will be dependant on the philharmonic securing investment from a range of other bodies, including the Arts Council, and private funding.
Mr Anderson said the council was "delighted to be able to support Liverpool Philharmonic in its ambition to bring additional investment into the city and in return we will restructure the lease on the building".
"Liverpool Philharmonic Hall is a jewel in the city's cultural crown but is in need of significant refurbishment to bring it up to the standards that today's audiences expect and deserve.
"The overall aim is to secure the future of one of the city's flagship cultural institutions and enable it to continue to operate from a much-loved venue."