News Brief
BMC Clears Second Phase Of Kala Ghoda Precinct Development, Focus On Plaza And Pedestrian-Friendly Design
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarter in Mumbai.
With the first phase of the Kala Ghoda precinct development nearing completion, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has now approved the second phase of the project, which aims to enhance five key roads while adding a public plaza and improved parking facilities, The Free Press Journal reported.
The initiative is part of a broader plan to transform the city’s iconic art district into a greener, more pedestrian-friendly cultural hub.
Phase 2 will cover Mahatma Gandhi Road, K Dubash Road, Nagindas Road, Chamber of Commerce Lane and Forbes Street, while work under Phase 1 is already in progress at V B Gandhi Marg, Rutherfield Street, Rope Walk Lane, Saibaba Road and B Bharucha Road.
A central feature of Phase 2 will be a pedestrian plaza at Kala Ghoda, where the stretch outside Rhythm House on K Dubash Road will be converted into a public square. Meanwhile, the road in front of Jehangir Art Gallery will be reconfigured into a two-way street.
The flooring will incorporate a combination of basalt and granite finishes, complemented by landscaping with trees such as Bakul, Heliconia Psittacorum, Purple Heart and Golden Durante.
“Given the extensive work required in phase 2 of the project it can be further divided in phase 2A and 2B. Initiatives like extending the existing parking facility at Kala Ghoda into underground parking will be part of phase 2B,” former BJP corporator Makrand Narwekar was quoted as saying, adding that the initiative would make the precinct “a greener, and more pedestrian-friendly space.”
The Urban Design Architecture (UDA) team has already secured BMC approvals. Phase 2A is expected to cost Rs 12 crore, with tenders to be issued once clearances from other agencies are obtained.
