Catering to the huge influx of tourists in the historic Fort area, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to redevelop the existing Krida Bhavan — a sports facility for BMC employees — near the civic headquarters paving the way for a brand new ‘townhall gymkhana’ building.
The BMC said the five-storey facility will comprise a glass dome with a rooftop viewing gallery, rooftop cafeteria, townhall as well as parking for as many as 60 vehicles. Pegged at a cost of nearly Rs 33 crore, the civic body on Tuesday commenced the tendering process for the facility which it said will enable tourists to enjoy the panoramic view of the heritage area around CST.
Besides catering to the high floating population that alight from the local trains, the precinct outside the CSMT station is a favourite among tourists owing to the presence of historic structures, ranging from the 132-year-old BMC headquarters to the iconic Azad maidan. While the civic body had developed a selfie point outside the terminus, civic officials said that an additional facility to provide people with a panoramic view was amiss.
It is this lacunae that the civic body aims to fill with the ‘Townhall Gymkhana’ building by redeveloping the existing Krida Bhavan, which has been lying defunct for the past few years. Tucked behind the khau galli lane near the Azad Maidan, the sports facility, which housed a badminton court and other sports facilities like a tennis arena, catered to the civic staff who were members. However, according to officials, having remained shut for several years following the Covid pandemic, it remained largely underutilised.
“Despite being located in a prime plot, the facility remained underutilised catering neither to the civic staff nor to the public. Therefore, a plan to develop a multipurpose facility primarily for people and tourists was charted in the location,” an official said.
“Unlike the old sports facility, the new building will cater specially to Mumbaikars and the tourists in the area. It will provide visitors a space to enjoy the panoramic view of the heritage buildings in the area while also creating a new source of revenue for the BMC itself,” an official told The Indian Express.
Meanwhile, the existing sports complex will be relocated to Tulsiwadi near the Mahalakshmi racecourse, where a new state-of-the-art facility is proposed to be constructed to cater to the civic staff. Responding to questions about the relocation of the new sports complex, officials said the Mahalaxmi racecourse area was finalised owing to its natural space as well as the proximity to other sports facilities.
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