Racecourse will be greener, BMC’s plan is a win-win, says Turf Club’s Jaydev Mody

In a meeting with the club members, Mumbai’s municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal proposed to take over 120 acres of the Mahalaxmi Racecourse and link it with the 175-acre garden being created towards the landward side of the Coastal Road, providing an overall open space of 300 acres. The racecourse is spread across 210 acres, out of which the BMC plans to take 120 acres. The remaining 91 acres are going to stay with us.

Will there be any additional construction on the plot?

The BMC has said that it will not even lay a brick over there and the municipal commissioner said he is ready to give an affidavit or an undertaking. The plot will remain green and they clarified that though everybody thinks that the theme park will be an amusement park with rollercoaster rides, in this case the BMC is planning a theme park like the central park in New York, where there will be a water body and forestry. Beyond toilets they do not want to build anything. There is no involvement of the builder lobby or anything like that and the minutes of the MoU says that. We will make sure that when we sign the MoU, it sticks to the minutes.

There seem to be two opposing views — one, from the members who are against any change and the other from citizens who feel the green cover will be compromised. What are your views?

No, it will become much greener. There will be more plantation, greenery, pathways, cycling tracks, walking tracks and lawns. If today, on a scale of ten, our green cover is three, it will become eight. It will be connected to the whole 175 acres, which will be seamless and will be much prettier. I do not think people have understood. They think the theme park means there is going to be an Essel World kind of a thing coming here, which is absolutely wrong. It is only going to be greener.

Will it affect the horse stables and what about the heritage structures?

The stables will stay with us alongside the race-track, the grandstand, and all our heritage structures will remain as they are. The BMC will give the remaining open space to the public.

The BMC said they will pay us to reconstruct the existing stables, which are over 130 years old, with state-of-the-art technology. After the lease for the racecourse is renewed, they will also give us FSI to build a clubhouse, swimming pool, tennis and squash court and all the other clubhouse services, which they never allowed us until now. So, it is a win-win for us in many ways.

Is the racecourse paying anything to the BMC to renew the lease?

We will pay normal lease rent which they said will not be exorbitant. All this talk about taking crores of rupees for lease renewal will not be there.

Have they given concrete plans yet or just vague statements and designs?

No. But we have to make sure that whatever is the final plan, it is in line with the minutes signed and only based on that, the MoU will be signed. What we have taken from the club members is only an enabling resolution to talk to the government and enter into MoU within the lines and scope of the minutes.

After the BMC proposal, is there any discussion on increasing the membership fee from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh?

Right now nothing has been planned because we do not know what exactly we will be given. If we are given full freedom to build a proper clubhouse with all facilities then of course we will relook at the membership fee.