The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has presented plans for a new Corporation Hall opposite its existing headquarters in Fort, with the proposed Rs 44 crore building expected to be completed in about two years if it receives the required approvals. The six-storey civic facility will include a 329-seat auditorium, offices for civic representatives and basement parking, but the current design provides fewer parking spaces than development regulations require.
The proposal was presented by the BMC administration at a civic standing committee meeting on Thursday. The building is planned on a plot measuring about 943.91 sq metres and will have a total construction area of 5,995 sq metres, or approximately 64,530 sq ft. Its proposed height is 31.90 metres.
The main auditorium will occupy the fifth and sixth floors. It will have seating for 329 representatives and a gallery for the media to cover proceedings of the civic House. The design also allows the seating capacity to be expanded to accommodate up to 350 corporators in the future. The provision has been included in anticipation of a possible increase in the strength of the elected House.
The BMC currently has 237 corporators, including 227 elected members and 10 nominated members. The existing Corporation Hall has faced criticism from corporators, particularly after the latest batch of elected representatives took charge in January. Members have cited the limitations of the current venue and sought a larger facility for House proceedings.
Under the proposed layout, the basement will be dedicated to parking. The ground floor will include an entrance lobby and gallery hall, while the first podium level will provide additional parking. The second podium will combine a badminton court with parking. A gymnasium and indoor games facilities are planned on the third floor.
The fourth floor is proposed to include a reception and waiting area, conference facilities, offices, a dining area and an open cafeteria. The building is therefore intended to function not only as a chamber for civic debates but also as an administrative and representative facility for municipal corporators.
Parking remains a significant issue in the proposal. The plan provides for 70 vehicle spaces, while the requirement under development regulations is 109 spaces. The supplied report does not indicate how the shortfall will be addressed or whether the plan will be modified before construction begins.
The site is directly opposite the existing BMC headquarters, a Grade I heritage structure. The project will consequently require clearance from the civic heritage committee. A corporator has also raised concerns about construction precautions because a Metro line is running underground in the area and several heritage structures surround the plot.
Congress corporator Ashraf Azmi said the building should be planned for at least the next 100 years and should accommodate more than 350 corporators. His comments point to the central design challenge facing the project: balancing the immediate need for a larger civic chamber with the structural, heritage and transport constraints of one of Mumbai’s most sensitive administrative districts.
The proposal is a revised version of an earlier plan for a town hall on the same plot. That design envisaged a four-storey structure but was subsequently revised to six storeys following demands from corporators, particularly BJP members, for a larger and more spacious Corporation Hall. A civic official said the project is expected to take around two years to complete, subject to the necessary approvals.
