NEARLY £2.5m is being sought to restore a town hall.
The money would be used to refurbish Thornaby Town Hall, which would include building 25 business units for new enterprises there.
The cost of the work is estimated to be about £2.45m and funding is being sought by the local council from a range of sources, including the Heritage Lottery Fund and the European Regional Development Fund.
The project has been jointly developed by Stockton Borough Council, Thornaby Five Lamps, Remembering Thornaby Group and Thornaby Town Council with support from ward councillors and residents.
Derek Lincoln, Stockton council's funding and strategy officer, said: "If all the funding approvals are received in the expected timeframe, we would hope to start the works in January 2006, and these will take around 18 months to complete."
Volunteers from Thornaby and Stockton Youth Parliaments have offered to help clear out the council chambers.
Tees Active, which manages Stockton council's leisure facilities, has offered free swim and ice skating passes for the volunteers.
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