Mumbai -- Project News and Developments

[Jai]

I'll parallel SSC's Mumbai developments page here. I won't post previous months news (check there for news going back 2 years), but I will start off say... mid feb?

First lets start off with some Mumbai-mood setting background music. Play this in the backround while you read the thread
• Video Link

• Video Link

And a video of Mumbai's rising skyline.
• Video Link

Also, check out the following thread for a Rundown of Mumbai's booming development, including a total of 65 skyscraper projects over 40 stories and above:
The Bombay *BOOM* -- A Rendering Rundown of u/c Mumbai skyscrapers

Most of them concentrated in the area seen in the 2nd youtube video above. (And most of them aren't even tall enough to be seen!) Mumbai's Dharavi and Mill land CBD development will literally quadruple the current building boom by 2009, and double the current allowable FSI will make for both commerical and residential supertalls.


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Some recent skyline views...

Back Bay view of skyline:

Supersized Version of this Photo

Powai skyline

Supersized Version of this Photo



And now, on to the news...

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-Jai

[Jai]

Verdict on Gateway plan today

TOI Epaper 21 Feb 2007

Toilets proposed in the earlier plaza have been dropped in this recent plan

Naresh Kamath
Mumbai

THE GRAND makeover planned for the Gateway of India may finally come through. On Wednesday, the beautification plan for the heritage structure will be placed before the standing committee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) — after a two-year wait.

If it is passed, it means in the near future a visit to Gateway will not entail being greeted by pesky hawkers, parking chaos. Haphazardly planned and illmaintained gardens will give way to better organised green areas with facilities.

Visitors will be able to enjoy a view of the Gateway of India from a viewers plaza and also enjoy the sea breeze from the 400metre promenade to be built in the vicinity of the structure.

The Rs 4.59-crore plan to give a face-lift to the surroundings was prepared by noted architect P.K. Das for the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).

Mayor Datta Dalvi said the beautification will be undertaken keeping in mind the historic importance of the place. “This is a significant structure in the city and visited by lakhs of tourists,” said Dalvi. “Changes will be made keeping in mind existing aesthetic aspects of the place.” Besides signage and lighting, the plan includes shifting stalls like ticket booths, milk centres and a police chowky to one side.


ON THE CARDS
1. A gallery of steps will be constructed at foot of the Shivaji statue. There will be an elevated garden around the statue. The gallery will be used to hold shows; visitors can sit there and look at the bay.

2. A section for amenities (milk centre, police chowki, ticket kiosks will be built below elevated garden near Wittet fountain.

3. Parking lot behind statue connected to the amenities section. Parking spaces on both sides of the garden will be removed.

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RIVAL FOR BKC? - Wadala will soon be a business hub

DNA India Epaper 21 Feb 07

Gigil

Varghese
Mumbai

STATE URBAN planners expect to soon finish drafting a plan to develop a huge swathe of Wadala as a business district to rival the Bandra-Kurla Complex, after dusting off a nearly three-decade-old proposal. The plan also envisions making the area the city’s transport hub.

The plan will be completed in about a month, said T. Chandrashekhar, joint commissioner of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authori ty, which is working on the plan along with a consultant.

“We are pushing to get the project off the ground,” he said. The project was mooted in 1979, but didn’t take off, unlike the other projects that planning body has pulled off, including the Bandra-Kurla Complex.

The planning body has finished acquiring nearly all the 200 acres identified for the project, and will soon shift transit tenements in the area to another location, said an official.

The district is to include commercial centers, hotels, multiplexes, parking lots and parks. These buildings will be subject to architectural norms relating to height and facades, which the planning body will stipulate as it did for the Bandra-Kurla Complex.

The plan also envisions making the area the terminus for bus and truck operators, although an official said they may initially protest against moving from their current hub near the Mumbai port in south Mumbai because they pay very low rents there.

Road links to the district will also be improved, officials said.

[Jai]

via HT Mumbai Feb23

[Jai]

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Remember 45 storey Akruti Lakewoods in Thane?

Here's a night rendering:


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Regarding Sumer Burhani Park,


Here's a view that I don't think was posted before:


Seeing as the 2nd pic is older, it seems that 4-spired, er, thingy became the one-spired convention center seen in the top rendering

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Larger rendering of upcoming Neelkanth Greens, Thane: several buildings of 30 stories each


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Another rendering of Kalpataru Towers, Kandivali (East)


Does indeed look to be 32 stories

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Nirmal Group's Amethyst, Mulund


Looks to be 32-34 stories

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Also, remember that Raheja Excelsior project at Haji Ali?


Looks like it, too, went a great redesign. This one hasn't hit the internet yet, but is taken from a recent photograph of a hoarding in South Mumbai.



Counting the floors, I'm going to confirm my estimation of the previous render saying at 45 stories tall. We'll have to wait for a larger rendering to come out to be more certain.



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Some nice malls by architect Reza Kabul

Orchid Mall, Malad




Raghuleela Mall, Mumbai




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Here is the largest size rendering of Imperial Towers I believe exists on the net. The previous rendering was about 1/2 the size:


^ You can see many details you otherwise couldn't have in the smaller rendering, especially in the roof.

However, this is only the 2nd latest of 3 released designs, so it may not reflect the current design, which looks more like this:


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Cheers,
Jai

[Jai]

Here's an interesting building seemingly planned by Lokhandwala Constructions, which can be seen on the wall in the photo accompanying the article "Greedy slumdwellers are maligning me" in HT e-paper on 25 Feb.


A closeup of the building. Looks to be about 32-34 stories



There are a couple other buildings that look like they may be taller in the pictures above that one, but they are hard to make out...

Source:

[Jai]

NDTV has this on Lodha Bellessimo: High-end property in Mumbai
Aired on: [October 1, 2006]

It features an awesome model of the project by Lodha Group:













As well as a guided walkthrough through these ultra expensive flats

[Jai]

Mill auction to push prices through roof

TOI Epaper
09 Jan 2007

Madhurima Nandy
Mumbai


(Above) Construction work underway 24/7 at Jupiter Mills SOUMITRA GHOSH/HT

REAL ESTATE prices in central Mumbai could rise because developers are expected to bid higher-than-market rates for the National Textile Corporation’s proposed auction of four mills in Worli and Parel, real estate consultants said.

The sale will free up 40 acres of land to private developers in this land-starved city, an area that is twice that of the Oval Maidan and thrice that of the Cooperage.

The textile company plans to sell the 18-acre Madhusudan Mill, its largest mill in Mumbai, Poddar Processors and Bharat Textile Mill, all three in Worli, and Finlay Mill in Parel.

The three mills in Worli could fetch more than the going rate of Rs 20,000 per sq ft and the one in Parel more than Rs 12,000 per sq ft, the consultants said.

“Prices will be as high if not more (than existing rates), with more developers coming in from out of Mumbai this time,” said Joy Gopal Sanyal, vice president at Trammel Crow Meghraj, a property consultant. He said these new developers might bid jointly for these bids with real estate funds.

Some consultants echoed a long-standing criticism of the government’s policy for mill lands, by pointing out that the city’s infrastructure could not bear the burden of further private development.

“There needs to be some method in the madness,” said Pranay Vakil, chairman of Knight Frank India. “There needs to be some regulation.” Real estate prices in Mumbai, which are among the highest in the world, had begun to rise at the end of 2004. They got a further boost when the National Textile Corporation auctioned its first set of five mills, Sanyal said.

Prices soared even over the period in which the company had sold these mills. It had sold Mumbai Textile Mill in mid-2005 for Rs 7,000 per sq ft. A month later, it got Rs 15,000 per sq ft for Kohinoor Mill.


NTC MILLS SOLD
Jupiter Mill, Lower Parel: 14 acres
Sold to: Indiabulls
Plans: Three towers office space

Mumbai Textile Mill, Lower Parel: 17.5 acres
Sold to: Jwala Realty
Plans: Biggest shopping mall

Apollo Mill, Chinchpokli
Sold to: Lodha Group
Plans: Lodha Bellissimo, an upmarket residential project

Kohinoor Mill No 3, Dadar: 4.9 acres
Sold to: Raj Thackeray-Unmesh Joshi partnered Kohinoor CTNL
Plans: Shopping mall coming up

Elphinstone Mill, Senapati Bapat Marg: 7.8 acres
Sold to: Indiabulls
Plans: Plans not yet known

NTC also plans to develop on its own:
India United Mill No 6
Where: Prabhadevi
Plans: India International Trade Tower, a 72-storeyed tower in the 11.96 acre mill.

Remaining NTC mills some of which will be sold and some will be functional:
Kohinoor Mill No 1 and India United Mill No 5, No 2, Dadar Kalachowkie Digvijay Mill, Lalbaug Tata Mills, Parel Gold Mohur Mill, Dadar New City, Kalachowkie India United Mill No 1, Poddar Mill, NM Joshi Lalbaug Marg


(Above) Madhusudan Mill in Worli

NTC MILLS TO BE SOLD
New Hind Mill – Mhada
Size: 8.33 acres
Where: Byculla

India United Mill No 4 – Mhada
Size: 7.79 acres
Where: Kalachowkie

Jam Mill – Mhada
Size: 7.99 acres
Where: Lalbaug

Sitaram Mills: MCGM
Size: 8.43 acres
Where: NM Joshi Marg

India United Mill No 2: MCGM
Size: 10.64 acres
Where: Kalachowkie

India United Mill No 3: MCGM
Size: 5.40 acres
Where: Kalachowkie

[Jai]

Firstly,

Mumbai's skyscrapers add to civic woes

Anjali Doshi
Wednesday, February 7, 2007 (Mumbai):

Promoted by Vikas Kasliwal of Shree Ram Mills, Palais Royale is all set to be one of Mumbai's tallest and most luxurious skyscrapers.

The 700-feet high building, to be ready in 2009, boasts of indoor heated swimming pools, ample parking space and world-class fire safety norms.

Here is the link to the video report of this story. It has a quick peek at both the construction site (construction seems to be underway) as well as a quck pan on the elevation.





It took some time to splice the screencaps together. I think it is in correct proportion.


Vikas Kasliwal of Shree Ram Mills also said this in the video report:

"It doesn't have too many stories, but since each storey has a very good height we've gone to very good heights. It will probably end up being a fairly tall building. We're not aiming to be the tallest building, but I think we may just end up being one of the tallest."

The newsreader also said:

But the title city's tallest is hotly contested. In the next two years three projects will vie for that honor.

However, they forgot to mention Oberoi Skyz in the contest, which isn't surprising, seeing as Oberoi Construction seems to be trying to draw as little attention to it as possible.

I can't find the builder, architect or promoter's website. Seeing as this is going to be an 'invitation only' project, just like also u/c Oberoi Skyz, and Reliance Tower, we're probably not going to see any good quality renderings outside brief newsclips until its nearly finished.


-Jai

[Jai]

Lodha Builders has updated their website. Some new projects. Unfortunately, they are small, but are of good quality:

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Lodha Solitaire, Napean Sea Road: 16 stories


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Chateau Paradis, Worli




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Lodha Palazzo


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Lodha Paradise




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Re: Lodha Belissimo they've uploaded this neat little map


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Before, the following was the only rendering we had of Lodha Grandeur


Now they've uploaded




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-Jai

[Jai]

Hey guys, remember this?


Well,BEAU-FRICKIN-MONDE, baby!!!


The first high-res pics of the buildings under construction, from exploreyd @ webshots:




Yay,
Jai

[Jai]

[Jai]

Also, a rendering of a "typical" elevated metro station, from Mumbai Metro website:


Each metro station will be a combined metro station-retail-hospitality outlet that will be designed and built by private developers. As they vie for passengers and shoppers, expect the competition to be extremely heated, and the architecture of the metro stations themselves to be extremely flashy

[Jai]

Several-month old news, but worth mentioning:





Video walkthrough of the new Airport:

[Jai]

Two bidders for second sealink

HT Epaper
07 Mar 2007

Madhurima Nandy
Mumbai



IT WILL be a 14-km bridge over the sea, almost thrice the length of the Bandra-Worli sealink, to take you from Worli to Nariman Point in less than 20 minutes. In a recent development, two parties — Anil Ambani’s Reliance Energy teamed up with South Korean company Hyundai consortium, and Malaysian firm Gamuda — have been shortlisted to develop the Rs 3,551 crore Western Freeway Sealink Project (WFSL) on a build-operate-transfer basis.

The much-delayed project, a crucial extension to the ongoing Bandra-Worli sealink, was supposed to take off by end-2006. The pre-qualification process itself has taken more than seven months.

Speaking to HT, State Public Works Department minister Anil Deshmukh said: “Bidders have now been issued draft bid documents, on the basis of which they will now have to submit technical and financial bids.” Senior Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) officials said the bidders had been chosen over both national and international bidders like Urbana from the US and Gammon. According to procedure, bidders will be soon issued complete bid documents after which they submit their final bids. Lastly, MSRDC will scrutinise the bids and select one.

REL is currently fighting a case against being thrown out of the pre-qualification process in the Rs 4,000 crore Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link project between Nhava Sheva and Sewri. Gamuda, a top infrastructure and engineering firm in Malaysia has a background of building and operating expressways and highways, tunnels as well as water infrastructure projects and is seriously looking at entering the Indian market in a big way.

madhurima.nandy@hindustantimes.com

BRIDGE BASICS
Route: Worli to Nariman Point
Total length: 16.92 km
Length of main bridge: 14.77 km
Project cost: Rs 3,500 crore
Travel time: Less than 20 mins at 100 km/hr

The sealink will connect to the mainland at Worli Dairy, Haji Ali and Bhulabhai Desai Road

[Jai]

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Tata Power/Kalpataru Construction project, Thane
designed by Ong and Ong Architects, Gurgaon




This master planning and design project, in Thane, Mumbai is set in picturesque surroundings, adjoining a national park.

The development consists of two tower blocks housing 132 apartments units, 25 landed homes and 800 m2 of retail space on a total site of 26,269m2. The focal point in this project is a landscaped band of water features cascading down the naturally differing levels of the terrain.

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Another view of Kalapataru Towers, Kandivali
designed by Ong and Ong Architects, Gurgaon





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[architect1]

Wow theres some amazing thingsing happinging in this city. I love the architecture. The bridge and the air port are amazing. My god I really hope to see some more pics soon.

[Jai]

I love the airport design too It's designed to resemble India's national bird, the peacock


BTW, here are some more Bandra-Worli Sealink u/c pics:

An awesome model of BWSL's span (and Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan)


So how does one exactly build a bridge?


Like this of course!


Check out that rising skyline



Cheers,
Jai

[Jai]

Firstly,
Rabale to get new station

HT Epaper 12 March 07
The Central Railway will soon open the Rabale passenger railway station for public. The station, designed by eminent architect Ratan J. Batliboi, is equipped with state-ofthe art facilities like a subway, huge parking space and polycarbonate station roof. The station is on the ThaneVashi line and will benefit the Thane-Belapur industrial zone.

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Larger renderings of Sheth Developers projects Grandeur, Ivy, and Polaris


Click below for full size:

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Infinity At Malad, IT Park Master Plan


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[Jai]

Dharavi getting crowded with makeover plans

An alternative plan has been proposed because experts fear the first one could overcongest the area

DNA Mumbai Epaper 14 March 2007
Gurbir Singh
Mumbai



THE STATE seems to have decided on a relook at the makeover plan for Dharavi, home to 6 lakh people and the largest slum pocket in the city, following fears that the previously proposed plan may overcongest the 216-hectare central Mumbai district.

Additional Chief Secretary in Charge of Urban Development Ramanand Tiwari said that besides the new plan that they were thinking of, there was also the possibility of a third alternative, which would be a combination of the old and new proposals.

One of the new proposals under consideration is to get developers to build more commercial and office space instead of resi dential structures.

This will also give higher returns to builders, Tiwari said.

The plan now under consideration proposes low-density rehabilitation for slumdwellers in groundplus-three or plus-four buildings. According to the plan, developers in Dharavi will be given development rights equivalent to 40 per cent of the floor space index (FSI) of the rehabilitation construction from which they will earn their profits. The first proposal spoke of 130 per cent development rights.

FSI is the ratio of total space on all floors of a building to the land area of the plot on which construction is undertaken. The government has cleared an FSI of 4 as a special case for Dharavi, and has invited objections and suggestions as per town planning norms before it is integrated into the Development Control Rules (DCR). The prevailing FSI in the island city is 1.33.

The new plan, recently presented before a high-power committee of secretaries, was developed by the Kamala Raheja School of Architecture and Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT), Ahmedabad.

It proposes just 14 per cent of Dharavi's land be put up for commercial sale, with ground-plus-15 structures housing the saleable component.

“If the state adopts the original plan, the density will go beyond that of Hong Kong. This is not sustainable,” said Uppal Sharma, Dean of CEPT’s School of Planning, the students of which came up with the alternative model.

Dharavi has a density of 600-700 housing units per hectare. Town planners peg the tolerance ceiling at 500. “The old proposal would have pushed density to 1,700 units per hectare,” Sharma added.

Tiwari said they were also considering the proposal made by the two schools of architecture.

“We could finally also have a mix of both the old plan developed by Mukesh Mehta and the new,” Tiwari said.

[Jai]

Worli-Bandra sea link may extend to Gorai

MSRDC has invited bids from consultants for a feasibility study

DNA Epaper
14 March 2007



Smita Deshmukh
Mumbai

With work on the WorliBandra sea link reaching the halfway mark, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is studying the feasibility of extending it from Bandra to Gorai.

The MSRDC has invited bids from consultants for a pre-feasibility tender for the proposed sea link. PWD Minister Anil Deshmukh said the bids will be opened on Friday and a decision on the consultant taken within 15 days.

Officials told DNA that they will have a clear idea in four months whether such a link connecting all of the western suburbs by sea would be viable.

The MSRDC has already received environmental clearance for extending the sea link from Worli to Nari man Point through a sixlane bridge. At 2006 prices, the project is estimated to cost Rs3,150 crore.

“We are aiming at decongestion, and extension of the sea link to Gorai is a natural step towards it,” said Deshmukh, who is also chairman of the MSRDC.

“The design and nature of the new connectivity would depend on what the consultants tell us.” Deshmukh said sea connectivity from the island city to the far end of the western suburbs would reduce the pressure on the existing north-south western corridor, which is highly congested. The congestion often causes bottlenecks on multiple locations.

“We may also look into the option of connecting Nariman Point to Sewree, since the Mumbai TransHarbour Link (MTHL) from Sewree to Nhava Sheva is in its final bidding stage,” he said.

West coast wired In four months a clear idea will emerge whether such a link would be viable.

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Here's a couple progress updates


And here is a clip from National Geographic's series, Megacities: Mumbai, focusing on the Bandra-Worli Sealink bridge
• Video Link

I highly recommend checking it out! Contains lots of animations and information on the project


Cheers,
Jai