BKC to get new state-of-the-art plaza for recreational facilities

The Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) will get a new state-of-the-art urban plaza, which will provide recreational facilities in the financial and commercial hub.

The Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) will get a new state-of-the-art urban plaza, which will provide recreational facilities in the financial and commercial hub.

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The 180-hectare BKC houses the offices of some of the top national and international companies but lacks a good recreational zone. Presently, the urban plaza in the BKC has only one food court and a park.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), in an attempt to address the need for good recreational spaces in the complex, has decided to expand the food court and park.

The new urban plaza will be spread over 2.2 hectares of land and will contain an amphitheatre, two snack bars, a 4,200-square metre park, a skating rink, a water fountain, a lighting system with 300 light fixtures and 10,000 square metre of paved areas.

With respect to the expansion of the park, the MMRDA will create the requisite infrastructure but is looking for a private contractor to operate it. The operator will maintain the park and recover the cost of expanding it through the food courts and by charging an entrance fee to the park. “We have received complaints about the lack of recreational places in the BKC. The new park will serve as a recreational zone,” said Dilip Kawathkar, MMRDA joint project director.

The MMRDA has drawn up an ambitious Rs150-crore plan to develop the BKC into a world-class commercial hub.

However, with only 20 hectares of land available for exploitation and a slump in the real estate market, the agency is trying its best to create infrastructure within the BKC to attract investors.