MHADA to undertake cluster redevelopment of Bandra Reclamation and Adarsh Nagar buildings

MUMBAI: The state cabinet on Tuesday passed a proposal allowing the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) to redevelop its buildings at Bandra Reclamation and at Adarsh Nagar, Worli.

As the design and construction agency, MHADA will be the nodal agency for redevelopment, and the societies will thus not be allowed to choose their own redevelopment path. MHADA is likely to appoint a private developer to get the redevelopment done. The entire project will get an FSI of 4, and of this, 1 FSI will be used to generate new housing stock.

The Bandra Reclamation flats are along the same road as Lilavati Hospital, and residents can get sea view homes once the buildings are redeveloped and go higher. The net plot area is 2,12,042 square feet and contains 52 buildings with 1,688 flats ranging from 322 to 825 square feet. Residents will get an additional built-up area of 5,04,515 square metres while MHADA will get flats of 1,00,190 square metres. MHADA will also get a premium of ₹4,266.14 crore

Adarsh Nagar is a large colony in Worli located behind the Worli Fire Station on Annie Besant Road. Its total plot area is 68,034 square metres, and its 58 buildings contain 863 flats ranging in size from 270 to 860 square feet. The residents will get an additional built-up area of 89,557 square metres and MHADA will get flats of 14,632 square metres for its housing stock. It is also expected to earn a premium of ₹680.02 crore.

The developer appointed by MHADA will have to be ratified by 51 per cent of the tenants. He will have to provide alternative accommodation, rentals, a corpus fund and provide all the basic amenities to the original residents.

Seeking to justify the decision, a senior official in the housing department said, “The government has decided to go in for holistic development wherever possible instead of allowing piecemeal redevelopment. Otherwise, builders pick and choose projects and the less-sought-after plots remain undeveloped or are not developed properly. In this case, MHADA will call for tenders, and whichever builder gives sellable housing stock to MHADA will be chosen.”

MHADA has 56 colonies in the city. Some of these are Pant Nagar at Ghatkopar, Tagore Nagar and Kannamwar Nagar at Vikhroli, Motilal Nagar in Goregaon and Tilak Nagar in Chembur.

Dominic Romell, president of the real estate body MCHI-CREDAI, said it was a good decision and in the interest of existing tenants. “They will not face the uncertainty that tenants do in a regular project,” he said. “The government will also get housing stock.”

Residents of individual MHADA colonies in Bandra Reclamation, who have been pursuing their own redevelopment projects for years, said that MHADA had been delaying their land conveyance, a prerequisite for redevelopment, despite consistent follow-ups. “Therefore, we approached the high court,” said a resident. “We are awaiting the final judgement.”