Phase 2 of the 154-year-old Crawford Market’s renovation, formally called the Mahatma Jotiba Phule Mandai, has seen the completion of two buildings: a new Block 3 for fish vendors and Block 4 for mutton traders. According to a civic official in the BMC’s markets department, both blocks would be functioning within 15 days.
Crawford Market’s architecture combines Flemish, Norman, and Victorian Gothic elements. The market was constructed in 1869 by Lockwood Kipling, the father of English poet and novelist Rudyard Kipling, and was created by British architect William Emerson. Under the direction of renowned conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah, the reconstruction project’s characteristics will complement the old building.
An acre of open space with a pedestrian plaza where visitors may enjoy the recently restored fountains and an amiptheater is one of the centrepieces of this enormous renovation project. Fish merchants from the neighbouring demolished Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Market will move to Block 3, a brand-new building that has also been created.
The project was a two-phase, thorough redevelopment of Crawford Market, according to Krishna Iyer, director of Abha Narain Lambah Associates. The old market’s exterior and interior were fully restored during Phase 1. In addition to stores selling dry fruits, baggage, and a BMC office for the markets department, this building used to be occupied by fruit vendors. In 2018, Lambah finished Phase 1 of the renovation, which included strengthening the main market’s structure and restoring the BMC office.
Three additional blocks make up the redevelopment: Block 1 will contain the fruit market, offices, and kirana shops; Block 2 will house the renovated beef market; and Block 3 will house the fish market, together with areas for poultry and eggs and offices devoted to fish, known as fish pedi. Additionally, there will be a special shopping area and Block 4 for mutton merchants.
Within the next 15 days, Block 3—which will house the 150 fish merchants who were moved from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (CSM) Market on Palton Road—and Block 4—which will house the mutton vendors—should be operational. Digging for Block 1 is underway, with landscaping yet to be completed.
The project is expected to cost 260 crore in total, and about half of the funding has already been used.
Source: Hindustan Times
