The grounds of the prison were created by filling in the Bogambara Wewa (an artificial lake) and the buildings were designed by F. Vine of the Public Works Department of Ceylon.

[4] Bogambara Prison was closed on 1 January 2014, at which time the property and all related assets were transferred to the government of Sri Lanka.

In December 2016 the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs created a project master plan for the redevelopment of the site.

[1] In June 2018 the prison was opened to the public for four days along with Meda Wasala, Kandy Municipal Council building and Ehelepola Walauwa, as part of a program to promote Kandy's heritage led by the Urban Development Authority (UDA), in conjunction with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

[5] On 24 August 2019, Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe formally announced the opening and inauguration of Phase I of the redevelopment of the prison as a cultural tourism centre, renaming the site the Bogambara Cultural Park.

[6][7] The redevelopment plans for the historic site feature the prison's transformation into a multi-use building, with the cells and rooms proposed to be converted into shops, shared workspaces and budget accommodations, and two five-star hotels will be built on site.

[8][9] The first phase of the redevelopment project was the enhancement of the prison's external surrounds at a cost of approximately Rs.