Turf club gets BMC nod forclubhouse and banquet hall

Mumbai: BMC has approved a layout proposal submitted by the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) through its architect for the construction of a new clubhouse and banquet hall at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse. The approval comes less than a year since the lease deed was signed between BMC and RWITC for 93 acres to be used for horse racing and allied activities.The project, to be on 32 acres, will be designated for Racecourse club/gymkhana use. The approval is for two buildings: a multi-storey clubhouse and a single-level banquet hall. The clubhouse will rise to a height of 32 metres and include two basements for parking, ground and upper floors for sports and leisure facilities, and five floors for lodging, offering a total of 177 rooms. Amenities will include squash and badminton courts, padel courts, restaurants, a mini theatre, library, fitness centre, and children's play areas. The ground floor will also house a swimming pool and support utilities.According to the approved plan, a floor space index (FSI) of 0.3 was applied to the net buildable area, allowing a total built-up area of 34,455 sq metres. Of this, 17,864 sq metres is existing construction to be retained, and 16,591 sq metres are newly proposed.While BMC has cleared the layout and subdivision, several statutory NOCs -- including from the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) and others -- will be required before construction begins.Municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said, "When the lease was renewed, it included a clause that the civic body would facilitate the construction of a new clubhouse. This development in no way affects the 120 acres of public open space, which will remain green and accessible."Officials say the approval was granted after multiple rounds of review, document submissions, and plan revisions between Dec 2024 and June 2025 among the architect, Ameet G Pawar, and civic authorities. The proposal went through holds and resubmissions in that period as authorities insisted on updated survey data, NOCs, revised drawings and ownership documents. The final permission came on June 27.A lease deed for the land -- signed in Aug 2024 -- was preceded by a BMC resolution (ACR-231) passed on July 2, 2024, permitting the lease of 93 acres to RWITC for purposes related to horse racing and related activities. While sub plots ‘D', ‘E', and ‘F' are covered under this lease, the remaining subplots (including one marked for a public park) are to be developed by the BMC.An official from the building proposal department said, "The municipal commissioner's approval was given on June 9 while the plan was approved in June 27."The proposal also includes the allocation of 25% of the area for open spaces (RG/LOS), though distributed across multiple points.Meanwhile, BMC's proposal for the development of a public park on 120 acres of the racecourse land is yet to be finalised.