myplace will be a state-of-the-art youth facility and will be built at a cost of £4.3m.

myplace is a multi-million pound national Government programme to create world class youth facilities across the country and is being delivered by the Big Lottery Fund.

It will bring back to life the historic Custom House in North Street in the St Hilda’s area of the town.

The Grade 2 listed building will be transformed into an activity, leisure and support centre.

Facilities at myplace will include a performance and dance hall, chill out space, media studio, library, music facilities, interactive gym, and a training kitchen and café. The proposed plans are available to download by following the link on the right.

There will also be advice and guidance services on education, employment and training, pregnancy and sexual health and drug and alcohol misuse. Outdoors, there will be allotments and wildlife gardens.

The services on offer in myplace will be provided by a range of organisations including Middlesbrough’s Integrated Youth Support Service, Tees Valley Arts and Middlesbrough College.

The decision to house myplace in the Custom House was made by the young people of Middlesbrough who were excited by its proximity to Middlesbrough College and the Boho Zone.

It is expected that up to 9,000 young people from Middlesbrough will access myplace every year.

Contractors Tolent, who are based in Stockton, started working on the building in 2010 and it is planned myplace will open its doors in early 2012.

Speaking when work started on site, the Mayor of Middlesbrough Ray Mallon said: “myplace will be a real location for the young people of this town, and will give them many opportunities.

“For some time now I have wanted to see something different being provided for our young people and myplace fits the bill perfectly.

“It is in an old building which will be brought back to life and will benefit teenagers for many years to come.

“I think that myplace will stand the test of time – its measure of success will be the development of the young people that use it.”

Once work began on site some welcome, and unwelcome, discoveries were made.

A secret room down a hidden passageway, a mystery shop front, a 170-year-old newspaper and a forgotten cellar are just some of the secrets the historic Custom House revealed.

Whilst carrying out vital structural work, staff from contractors Tolent have revealed some surprises including a hidden passageway to a secret servant’s quarters.

It is thought the servant’s room dates from the 1830s when the building functioned as a hotel and business exchange for the burgeoning town.

The small room is now to be preserved in its current state so that young people can get a glimpse of the history of the building.

Meanwhile, the discovery of a shop or pub front in the stonework and orange metal pillars indicates how the building was adapted for a variety of purposes over the years.

A copy of the front page of the ‘York Herald’ newspaper dating from December 2, 1837 - the year the building is thought to have been built - was also found by a builder in a wall.

Whether this was deliberately left as a ‘time capsule’ is not known.

As well as providing unforeseen delights, the historical nature of the Custom House has also caused unforeseen problems.

The stonework around the roof of the Custom House was in a poorer condition than anticipated, whilst walls needed underpinning and repair.

This additional work, together with severe winter weather, delayed the overall project by a number of months.

The anticipated opening date has been put back from summer 2011 to early 2012.