RWITC (The Royal Western India Turf Club) has given the green signal to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) plan to renovate the Mahalaxmi Racecourse into a theme park.
RWITC chairman Surendra Sanas told PTI, "A total of 708 members cast their vote with 540 of them voting in favour of the (civic body's) proposal (for a theme park), while the remaining 168 voted against it." He also mentioned that, the civic body would renew RWITC's racecourse land lease for the next 30 years, permit them to build a new clubhouse, which will be a new recreation facility for members, and also allow repairing work in their premises.
The civic body is offering to renew the turf club’s lease, which expired in 2013, for a period of 30 years if the RWITC hands over more than half of the 211-acre land parcel it has in its possession. As per the proposal reflected by BMC, RWITC would hand over 120 acres of an already marked racecourse land to the municipal corporation.
The BMC, state government and the turf club will sign the Memorandum of Understanding(MoU), which reveals that, the racecourse lease will be renewed till 2053. BMC has also assured the club that it would bear the entire construction cost of around Rs.100 crore for new stables, which will be built on a site adjacent to the old ones.
Furthermore, the BMC would grant RWITC the permission to build a clubhouse on the allocated land and also assist them in securing permissions from state regulatory authorities, wherever required, for the smooth conduct of the club’s administration and the sport.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had said that the proposed theme park will be connected with the green area, being developed by the BMC, of the Coastal Road Project through a subway.
However, the BMC had also not charged any rent from the plot between 2013 and 2023 and civic officials said that if the body charges rent, then it will set a perception that the BMC is ready to extend the lease.
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