The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is moving forward with plans to develop two underground parking facilities in South Mumbai after receiving clearance from the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee. The proposed projects will be located at Kala Ghoda and near Regal Cinema as part of efforts to reduce roadside congestion in the city’s heritage precinct.
According to civic officials, the tendering process has already begun, with construction work at Kala Ghoda expected to start after the monsoon season. The Regal junction facility is likely to follow in the next phase. Each underground parking structure is planned to accommodate nearly 300 vehicles.
The initiative aims to free up carriageways currently occupied by parked vehicles across the narrow streets of Mumbai’s ‘A’ ward, an area known for its colonial-era buildings, Art Deco architecture, cultural institutions and tourist landmarks.
The projects form part of a larger urban redevelopment vision covering the stretch from Ballard Pier to Colaba. The master plan has been prepared by the Urban Design and Architecture Initiative (UDAI), led by architect Pritesh Bafna.
A civic official associated with the project said the larger objective is to create “interconnected plazas from Horniman Circle to Flora Fountain, Kala Ghoda, Regal and the Gateway of India. The aim is to improve the experience for everyone using these heritage spaces.”
Unlike the ongoing underground parking facility at Flora Fountain, the new projects at Kala Ghoda and Regal will feature fully automated systems with all parking operations located below ground. Officials stated that even vehicle queueing areas will remain underground to preserve the heritage character of the locality, with only staircases and passenger lifts visible at surface level.
Former corporator Makarand Narwekar, who supported the project along with Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, said, “The roads in A ward are capable of handling traffic for several years. The real problem is friction caused by parked vehicles occupying lanes across areas like the Gateway of India and Colaba.”
The BMC is also planning to introduce a smart parking guidance system across the ward, featuring digital signboards displaying real-time parking availability information.
Source: Swarajya
