THE multi-million pound redevelopment of Oxford’s Old Fire Station will be carried out by the same firm which built the Victorian building more than a century ago.

Kidlington-based Kingerlee will start work on George Street site in the next few weeks – 114 years after it finished the original.

The firm was appointed after initial contractor Rok went into administration in November.

The building will become a £3.5m Crisis Skylight centre complete with a cafe, theatre, dance studio, gallery and creative workshops for both the young homeless and city arts groups.

It is a joint venture between Oxford City Council, the Homes and Communities Agency and homeless charity Crisis and is due to be completed in autumn 2011, two months behind schedule.

City council leader Bob Price said: “I am delighted that we have been able to appoint a well-respected local firm, Kingerlee, to complete this important project for the city and Crisis.

“The difficulties caused by Rok going into administration will mean that the project will be completed a couple of months later than hoped but we have been able to secure a new contractor very swiftly.”

The building was completed in 1896 and served as the city’s main fire station until 1971, when the service moved to its present home in Rewley Road.

Kingerlee joint managing director Michael Puttick said: “We’re very pleased to be appointed as main contractor for this exciting project, particularly as the company was involved in building the original fire station and we are looking forward to reinventing it.

“Kingerlee is a local business which has worked in and around the city for almost 150 years and has worked with many of Oxford’s colleges and the local authorities in the region on redevelopment projects, so Oxford is very much at the core of our work.”

Crisis recently secured a £491,000 Lottery grant towards the running costs of the centre for the first three years.

Chief executive Leslie Morphy said she was delighted the project was back on track.

She added: “We are looking forward to working with Kingerlee and Oxford City Council to make the Old Fire Station a success for Oxford.”

The appointment of the original building firm is not the only trip down memory lane for the George Street structure, which has also been used as both a theatre and a nightclub. In September, firefighters from Red Watch at Rewley Road returned to their former home to use the building as a training venue.