Following the implementation of re-organisation associated with the Local Government Act 1972, the new Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council gained enhanced powers and decided to commission a modern facility to replace the old Town Hall on the opposite side of North Street.

[2] The statue of Lady Wulfruna by the sculptor, Sir Charles Wheeler, was erected on the site, to commemorate the centenary of the founding of the newspaper the Express & Star, in 1974.

[2][8] Environmental works to improve the open area between the civic centre and St Peter's Collegiate Church were carried out with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund between 1996 and 2004.

[9] A substantial programme of restoration works for the civic centre and its car park, to a design by Associated Architects, was carried out by Speller Metcalfe at a cost of £22 million and completed in 2018.

[10][11] The restoration work involved changes to the interior layout to create an open-plan environment: it also included creation of a new customer service centre on the ground floor.