The council is hosting an open day at The Pines, its new offices in the 1930s iconic heritage building at Mayday Hills.

Interested folk can come and join a free tour of the site, which the council moved into last month.

Indigo mayor Bernard Gaffney said The Pines was an ideal location, a “historic building in a historic town in a historic shire”.

“The building has been refurbished and is modern and spacious,” Cr Gaffney said.

“It is only fitting that we open up the building so the community can see how The Pines has been refurbished for modern office accommodation while keeping its heritage characteristics intact.”

Among those characteristics are five-metre high ceilings, and several old solitary confinement cells that have been turned into meeting rooms and storage space.

The move to The Pines is another chapter in Indigo’s transition to new offices, after the new Yackandandah site opening last year.

The council’s customer service centre will remain permanently at Ford Street, Beechworth, with the town’s library to also move there by the end of this year.

The Pines relocation has cost the council about $1.5 million in land and refurbishment costs.

Cr Gaffney said the shift from the council’s old Chiltern “cramped and unsuitable” offices was “economically responsible”.

Today’s open day begins with a formal opening at 10am, followed by morning tea. There will then be two tours at 10.30am and 11am.

All residents are welcome.

It is only fitting that we open up the building so the community can see how The Pines has been refurbished for modern office accommodation while keeping its heritage characteristics intact.