The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning a new Town Hall Gymkhana complex opposite its existing headquarters in Fort, which could provide the civic body with a larger corporation hall and additional recreational facilities.
The proposed development will come up on two plots owned by the civic administration, currently occupied by a dilapidated sports building. The estimated project cost is Rs 35.96 crore, and the proposal has been submitted to the BMC’s Standing Committee and Improvements Committee for consideration.
The revised plan, scheduled for discussion on Wednesday, follows suggestions made during committee meetings in March and April. The municipal architect’s department subsequently incorporated additional facilities into the design.
A key feature will be a corporation hall with seating for 320 corporators, compared with the existing capacity of 227 members. The complex will also accommodate offices and chambers for the mayor, deputy mayor and leader of the opposition.
Spread across 5,951 sq m, the revised development is approximately 25% larger than the original proposal, which covered 4,719 sq m. Other planned amenities include a cultural gallery, gymnasium, badminton court, indoor sports facilities and two podium levels of parking.
The building design comprises a ground floor, four upper floors and a partially constructed fifth floor, along with a viewing gallery, glass dome and two basement levels.
However, the revised proposal is yet to secure the required permissions. The site is situated within a heritage precinct and the buffer zone of the Grade-I listed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and the historic BMC headquarters.
The plot is also affected by existing club or gymkhana, residential and educational reservations under the Development Plan 2034. Consequently, the project will require clearances and no-objection certificates from the Maharashtra Heritage Conservation Committee, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited, the BMC’s Eastern Suburbs Special Cell and other relevant authorities.
The civic body has set a 28-month completion timeline. It has allocated Rs 6 crore for the project in the revised estimates for 2026-27, with the remaining expenditure expected to be covered through allocations in subsequent financial years.
Source: Hindustan Times
