Tall & Urban News

A new cluster redevelopment in Mumbai, the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Project, has now welcomed 610 families into two new buildings.

After many failed attempts over the past decade, Bhendi Bazaar, one of the busiest business-cum-residential districts of the city, is taking a big leap into the future in what’s said to be one of India’s largest cluster redevelopment project.

The 125-year-old neighborhood spanning 16.5 acres (6.7 hectares), not very far from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, is already home to two newly developed towers of 36 and 41 floors, which are opening a new world of modern living for the families there. Around 610 of the  3,200 families and 128 of the 1,250 businesses have moved into the new buildings, all for free.

The families, who were living in 80-square-foot (7-square-meter) dilapidated homes, are moving into 350-square-foot (33-square-meter) modern apartments.

The ambitious cluster redevelopment programmed is funded by the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust, established by the late Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, the former spiritual head of the Bohri Muslim community, who are most of the residents and tenants of the area.

The two towers have come up on the plot where 13 dilapidated buildings stood, and form part of the 13 towers planned to be developed at the site.

“The new neighborhood will meet the present and future socio-economic needs of diverse communities living and working in the area,” Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust secretary Abdeali Bhanpurawala said.

The redevelopment comprises 16.5 acres (6.7 hectares) of land with more than 250 decrepit buildings, 3,200 families and 1,250 shops, all of which will be incorporated into a state-of-the-art sustainable development model with wider roads, modern infrastructure, ample open spaces, and highly visible commercial areas.

The State planned to redevelop the area almost a decade ago, but work was marred by the slow pace.

The project involves razing 250 mostly dilapidated medium-rise structures and building 13 high-rise towers in their place. These towers will house existing commercial and residential tenants, who will be given ownership of their new apartments.

The project aims to add greenery, public spaces and new shopping options to the 125-year-old market district, a holdover from the colonial days.

Originally built to accommodate migrant laborers working in the harbor, more recently Bhendi Bazaar has attracted low-income families, drawn by State-controlled rents that have been frozen for decades.

In 2009, the late Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin made the drastic proposal to demolish the district, except for its holy sites, and build anew.

It seemed an ambitious undertaking but got the backing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who made it a flagship smart city project in July 2015.

The two completed towers have been designed with multiple amenities including a recreational area with gardens and a playground, a prayer room, a multi-purpose hall, activity rooms, and separate gyms for women and men. The commercial spaces are housed on the ground, first and second floors.

For more on this story, go to The Hindu Times.