DMK govt. mooted heritage structure in place of King’s Barracks at Fort St. George

The previous DMK-led government, under M.K. Stalin, proposed constructing a multi-storeyed heritage building on the site of King's Barracks, located behind the Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai in Fort St. George. The rationale behind the proposal involved the shortage of space in the main block of the fort and the 10-storeyed Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai.

However, the plan was not approved due to resistance from the defence authorities and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which controls the entire fort premises as it is a protected monument under law. The ASI had previously announced plans to renovate the barracks, which is considered the largest in the country, built in 1756 and extended in 1762.

It housed a royal regiment since its inception and served the British battalions for approximately two centuries. Due to stringent regulations prohibiting construction within a 300-meter radius of archaeological structures or national monuments, only minimal renovations were allowed. The AIADMK government, led by Jayalalithaa, attempted to mark the State Assembly's diamond jubilee by building an arch near the War Memorial.

However, the DMK regime's subsequent plans to return to the Omandurar Government Estate for the Secretariat and Assembly complex were shelved due to a lack of consensus among political leaders and civil servants. Another proposed location for the building was the Marina area, where the Ezhilagam building and two nearby structures would be demolished, with the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board occupying one of them.

However, officials argued that the available land at the Foreshore Estate would be more suitable for accommodating all State government offices, making it the preferred site for the complex.