Restore the Fort of banking

The proposal to restore the banking district has been formulated to create a focus and a common agenda for major institutions and banks in order to identify a holistic framework within which these institutions, which are in any case spending great amounts of money on restoration of the individual building, would contribute and work collectively towards upgrading of this area. The aim is to block out the set of issues and concerns based on which not only could different building owners and users in the area get together but form a basis on which to establish dialogue with authorities.

The following are the issues having an impact on the state of this precinct, and they have been articulated together with proposals of how they could be handled. Along with this the critical next steps have been outlined.

STREET HAWKERS: A phenomenon that has acquired alarming proportions has been that of street hawkers and unauthorised hawking activity. Hawkers have penetrated into all areas in the district, also resulting in construction of unauthorised sheds and such accretions.

PROPOSAL: While hawkers are a hindrance to movement of pedestrians, they serve the contemporary need. Moving them to some out-of-the-way location is impractical. Most office-workers need hawkers for their everyday needs. It could be proposed to formulate a series of otias platforms, each of which could accommodate four hawkers with a clearly demarcated space. The licensee number of the hawker is laid in-situ into the otia, so that any unauthorised occupant can be spotted and apprehended. These otias can also be placed along pavements or in the centre, so that they don8217;t impede pedestrian flow.

TRAFFIC amp; PARKING: Today, traffic flows around the Flora Fountain all the way down to Horniman Circle are a tangle of one-way streets with intersecting streets adding to the abrupt interferences experienced while driving. Added to this is the complete takeover by cars of Bombay8217;s prime public space the plaza around Flora Fountain. In fact, the monument today is an island in the sea of cars! The large number of cars also make pedestrian movement difficult.

PROPOSAL: The stretch of road between Flora Fountain and St Thomas8217; Cathedral is a cul de sac situation in effect and could be easily pedestrianized as it has no through traffic. This could be used as a hawking zone with hawkers arranged in the centre of the road leaving pavements free for pedestrians. This would considerably reduce traffic congestion.

Today, Flora Fountain, Martyrs8217; Memorial and the areas around it are surrounded by cars creating an ugly area of parking around. The car parking area could be moved to a position behind the monuments so that it does not interfere with the public8217;s view of them. This new system could be much more efficient than the present messy configuration, so that the overall number of parking spaces is not affected. The new pattern will free the foreground of the monuments, allowing it to be beautifully landscaped with grass, paving stones and trees, thus giving back Bombay a truly urban public space.

ARCHITECTURAL CONTROLS: Over the years, additions and transformations have been made to buildings, most of them harmful to the area8217;s spatial character. These transformations have occurred in the form of upper floor additions, buildings extensions onto pavements and arched openings of arcades and windows being boarded up, infilled with brick or even completely obscured.

PROPOSAL: Facade restoration of all heritage buildings to include: 1 stone cleaning and plant removal, 2 Lime washes and appropriate finishes for external walls, 3 restoration of ornamental details, 4 removal of incongruous additions and 5 sympathetic location of a/c units. In addition, incongruous signage and hoardings should be removed and signboards given stricter control. The placement and design of signboards should be carefully regulated among facades to ensure they do not damage the building8217;s visual character.

STREET FURNITURE: The design of street signs, garbage bins, tree planters as they exist in the area are incongruous to the ambience. Furthermore, elements such as road dividers and barricades, besides being unsightly, pose hazards to pedestrians and vehicles alike. The district also has incongruity created by badly designed and located signboards and shop fronts. The loud and gaudy signage is alien to the building architecture both in terms of colour, texture and proportion. Plus, there is lack of signage in the area to orient the visitor, both to the historic background of the precinct and even to understanding the location of establishments and landmarks.