Mumbai, Dec 15 (IANS) Ahead of the elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections slated for January 15, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday unveiled plans for 295 acres of Central Park, combining the open land of Mahalaxmi Racecourse and the Coastal Road and also the 10 lakh square feet of the Underground Sports complex.

Shinde said that this will be the largest gift ever given to Mumbaikars.

“There will be no concrete construction on the surface of this park. Central Park will be directly connected to the Coastal Road through an underground passage. No harm will be caused to the racecourse or its historic heritage,” he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister claimed that a world-class Central Park will be developed on 125 acres at Mahalaxmi Racecourse, along with 170 acres of land from the Coastal Road, creating a total of 295 acres of a grand Central Park.

“Additionally, a 10 lakh square feet world-class underground sports complex will be developed beneath the Central Park,” he said.

He also pointed out that this complex will host international-level sports facilities along with traditional Indian sports such as Kho-Kho and Kabaddi.

“The sports complex will be environment-friendly,” said Shinde.

He stated that visitors will be able to watch horse racing while walking inside the park, adding that, except for walking paths, there will be no construction on the surface, and the entire area will remain a green park.

“For smooth traffic management, the Central Park will be connected to the Coastal Road via a 1,200-meter-long underground tunnel, for which a Rs 550 crore tender has been issued. The entire project has been designed by architect Hafeez Contractor,” he added.

Speaking about connectivity, Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said that Nehru Science Centre Metro Station (Metro Line 3) will be the nearest station.

“The station will be connected to Central Park via an underground passage, which will extend through Annie Besant Road, reach Haji Ali, connect to parking facilities, and further link to the Coastal Road,” he said.

The official added that this underground connectivity will help manage crowds visiting the Central Park and sports complex.

“The Coastal Road parking facility will accommodate 1,200 cars and 100 buses,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief Minister also informed that, additionally, the Thane Municipal Corporation will develop an 18.4 km “Anandvan Green Corridor”, connecting the Sanjay Gandhi National Park near the Mira-Bhayandar boundary.

He added that these projects will provide world-class facilities for talented athletes in Thane, improve citizens’ quality of life, and accelerate Thane’s overall development.

“Most projects have entered the tendering stage and will be developed on a BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) basis,” he said.

–IANS

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