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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed an underground pedestrian vestibule costing approximately INR 702.44 crore to connect the Mahalaxmi Racecourse and Science Centre Metro station area with the Coastal Road and Worli Promenade. The proposal, now before the Standing Committee, designates the BMC as primary funding agency while the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Corporation (MMRCL) will implement the project. The Congress party has questioned the funding structure, citing the civic body's existing financial liabilities.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed an underground pedestrian walkway estimated at INR 702.44 crore, intended to link the Mahalaxmi Racecourse and Science Centre Metro station precinct with the Coastal Road and Worli Promenade. The proposal has been placed before the civic body's Standing Committee for final approval, and forms part of the BMC's wider effort to integrate the Mahalaxmi Racecourse redevelopment with the city's expanding metro and coastal infrastructure network.
Under the proposed arrangement, the BMC will act as the primary funding agency for the project, while the entire project fund will be transferred to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Corporation (MMRCL), which has been designated as the implementing agency. The BMC's role will additionally include providing the necessary approvals, instructions and administrative support to ensure timely execution, according to the proposal submitted to the Standing Committee.
For the financial year 2026–27, the BMC has earmarked INR 107.47 crore towards the project, out of the total estimated cost of INR 702.44 crore. The civic body intends to recover this expenditure through the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Premium available under the Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR), 2034, a mechanism that allows recovery of infrastructure costs against future development premiums in the vicinity of transit corridors.
The proposal has drawn opposition from the Congress party, which has questioned the rationale for the BMC serving as the principal funding agency while MMRCL executes the project. Party representatives have pointed to the civic body's existing financial commitments, noting that the BMC faces nearly INR 8,000 crore in payments due this year, alongside future liabilities estimated at INR 28,000 crore and an infrastructure pipeline valued at INR 2.45 lakh crore, with potential cost escalations that could add a further INR 25,000 crore or more to this burden. Given that the BMC is already funding major undertakings including the Coastal Road project along with several road and bridge works, opposition members have raised concerns over whether the civic body can absorb another substantial financial commitment. Questions have also been raised over the reliability of the proposed TOD Premium recovery mechanism, with critics cautioning that projected future revenue should not be treated as funds available in the present, and seeking clarity on accountability in the event of revenue shortfalls or cost escalation.
The proposed underground link is part of a broader connectivity plan the BMC has outlined for the 211-acre Mahalaxmi Racecourse precinct, which the civic body is redeveloping into a large public open space. Officials have indicated that underground passages would extend beyond the racecourse itself, connecting through Annie Besant Road towards Haji Ali and linking with the Coastal Road's underground parking hub, which has capacity for 1,200 cars and 100 buses. The broader vision aims to create seamless pedestrian access across close to 300 acres of open space, combining the racecourse's 125 acres with 170 acres of reclaimed land along the Coastal Road. The BMC has previously indicated that the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited would be involved in feasibility assessments for underground corridors linking metro stations on the Aqua Line with the racecourse's planned basement facilities, which are envisaged to include a public sporting arena and convention centre.
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