Underground parking: BMC to appoint consultant to conduct feasibility study

The proposal for underground parking lots first came up in 2009. (Express File Photo)

Taking another step towards the underground parking project, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to appoint a consultant to conduct a feasibility study. The civic body has proposed the name of leading architect Hafeez Contractor as consultant for the project. The proposal will be tabled at the Standing Committee meeting this week.

The proposal for underground parking lots first came up in 2009, but the concept never took off. Recently, it was announced by Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta in his 2017-18 budget speech. After applications were invited, of the 15 applications received from various architecture firms, three were disqualified and 12 were evaluated and graded by a technical committee. Contractor’s firm was shortlisted as the likely project consultant. “The evaluation was done on the basis of the previous work done by these firms and other technical parameters. The engineers and architects checked and verified documents and presentations of these firms,” said Kishore Desai, assistant commissioner of E Ward, who was part of the technical committee.

The plots where the proposed underground parking lots will first be built are under Zhula Maidan in Madanpura in E ward and Raosaheb Patwardhan park at Linking road in Bandra in H West ward. An official added, “The project will need diversion of existing underground utilities (especially the water pipelines). Hence, appointing a consultant was important.” The civic body will pay two per cent of the project cost as consultancy fee to the consultant. The estimated cost of the project at Zhula maidan is Rs 57.35 crore while the cost of the project at Raosaheb Patwardhan park is estimated at Rs 88 crore.