Following progress on the proposed cluster redevelopment of Kamathipura, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) is now preparing plans for another major urban renewal project in South Mumbai, this time targeting the Umerkhadi locality in Dongri.
According to a draft redevelopment proposal currently under consideration, the project will cover approximately 6.23 acres and involve the redevelopment of 81 ageing buildings. The existing structures are proposed to be replaced with seven high-rise towers ranging from 40 to 81 storeys. The project is expected to rehabilitate more than 2,000 residential and commercial occupants while generating significant revenue for Mhada.
If implemented, Umerkhadi would become the third major cluster redevelopment initiative in South Mumbai after Bhendi Bazaar and Kamathipura. While the Bhendi Bazaar project is being undertaken by the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust, Mhada recently appointed a consortium comprising Bhagirathi Housing Private Limited and Maathi Developers Private Limited for the Kamathipura redevelopment project.
The proposed Umerkhadi redevelopment site is located west of Sandhurst Road railway station, between Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Road and Ramchandra Bhatt Road, commonly known as JJ Hospital Road. The project area may extend up to the JJ Flyover on the western side.
Project documents indicate an estimated development cost of Rs 4,501.97 crore. If executed through a construction and development agency selected via tendering, Mhada is projected to earn a surplus of Rs 1,041.74 crore. Internal assessments conducted by the authority have reportedly found the project financially and technically viable.
The redevelopment proposal covers 1,928 residential units and 268 commercial tenements spread across 81 buildings, many of which are over six decades old. All eligible occupants would be rehabilitated within the project site and provided transit accommodation support during construction.
Residential tenants are proposed to receive monthly transit rent starting at Rs 25,000 in the first year, increasing annually over a four-year period. Commercial occupants would receive rent compensation of Rs 100 per sq ft, with a 10% annual escalation. The plan also provides for compensation to owners of cessed buildings.
Mhada has estimated transit rent expenditure at ₹98.40 crore, while an additional corpus fund of Rs 11.16 crore has been proposed for rehabilitation beneficiaries.
The proposal also outlines a graded parking policy based on apartment size rather than providing one parking space per tenement. Parking allocation would vary according to the carpet area of the rehabilitated units, reflecting a planned approach to managing space within the redevelopment.
Source: Hindustan Times
