Mumbai’s eastern suburb of Kanjur West may soon see the development of a large-scale art and cultural centre, with a proposal worth Rs 175 crore submitted to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The project is planned on a 3-acre plot along Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Road and is expected to accommodate over 2,000 people.
The proposal has been put forward by Anthurium Developers Ltd, an entity of the Mahindra Group, following the advance handover of approximately 13,000 square metres of land to the civic body. The site has been earmarked for a cultural centre and drama theatre under Mumbai’s Development Plan.
“Once the commissioner approves the proposal, Mahindra Lifespaces will built a Art and Cultural centre on the lines of Chembur’s Fine Arts Society and Sion’s Shanmukhanand Hall. The estimated project cost is Rs 175 crore, and centre will be big enough to more than 2000 people at a time,” said a personel privy to the project.
Mahindra Lifespaces, the group’s real estate arm, is involved in the development. The land forms part of a larger 5.5-acre parcel handed over to the BMC in exchange for Transferrable Development Rights (TDR). This parcel is within a broader 37-acre landholding in Kanjurmarg, where a major residential project is currently underway.
According to civic sources, the remaining land within the 5.5-acre portion has been reserved for public amenities such as a garden, municipal school, and open spaces, which the BMC is expected to develop. However, a final decision on whether the cultural centre will be constructed by the civic body or the developer is still pending.
Civic activist Zoru Bhathena said, “It is good that Mahindra is handing over 5.5 Acres of Land, frew of cost to the BMC against TDR benefits. And that land is to be used for school, playground, garden and cultural centre. But will Mumbai in practically get this open land or will it remain only on paper, similar to several other land parcels is the real question.”
Source: The Free Press Journal
