PLANS for a world-class tourist attraction about Southampton’s part in the Titanic story were set to take a major step forward today – with a £500,000 cash windfall.

Sea City Museum, which will be built in the west wing of Southampton’s Civic Centre, is to feature a massive climb-aboard replica of the doomed liner.

Visitors to the £28m museum will experience life on board the illfated voyage from the perspective of the crew, many of who were from Southampton.

The plan will receive a boost today as the Heritage Lottery Fund awards almost £500,000 in development funding – with the potential for a further £4.5m towards construction.

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Work could start late next year and Southampton City Council is desperate for doors to open in April 2012 – the 100th anniversary of the tragedy.

The council’s leisure boss described it as the city’s most significant landmark development for a generation that could draw hundreds of thousands of people.

Visitors will go on a journey experiencing the day the liner left Southampton’s docks, to life on board for crew and the subsequent inquiry and discovery of the wreckage.

Councillor John Hannides, Cabinet member for leisure, culture and heritage, said: “Southampton was the home of the Titanic so it is only fitting that we tell our story. When the ship sank 549 Southampton people lost their lives and hundreds of families in the city were directly affected.”

The announcement is a much needed boost for the city after the regional development agency Seeda pulled its funding for a £4.6m revamp of Guildhall Square.

The civic centre’s old magistrate courts and police station will be turned into a dockside scene showing Titanic about to depart.

The museum will feature thousands of Titanic artefacts.

The council has two years to submit full proposals to compete for a further £4.5m of lottery cash.