BMC mulls dome-like indoor event space near horse stables at Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai

Time of India

16 hours ago

Mumbai: Buoyed by the Rs 7.5 crore revenue boost from hosting mega events at Mahalaxmi Racecourse over the past year, BMC is now considering a dedicated indoor event space near the horse stables — similar to the NSCI Dome in Worli.
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During a meeting held on Tuesday evening at the BMC headquarters, civic officials discussed the possibility of developing a 15-acre land parcel near the horse stables for closed-door cultural, music, and corporate events. "There were talks on whether a facility can be built which can be rented out for events as currently a part of the open space is given out during the summer and winter months, but hosting events during the monsoon months is not preferred.
BMC is currently already using a portion of the open space for commercial activity," said a civic official privy to the discussions.
BMC's idea builds on the success of open-air international events like Lollapalooza India last March, Guns N' Roses concert in May 2025, and the international equestrian shows in Feb.
Of the total 212.7-acre racecourse plot, BMC took possession of 120.1 acres — the central open space and two smaller land parcels near the stables — on an "as is where is" basis on July 2, 2024.
The remaining 92.6 acres were leased back to the Royal Western India Turf Club Ltd for 30 years — from June 1, 2023, to May 31, 2053, subject to specific terms, usage conditions, and permissions.
At Tuesday's meeting, civic officials were also instructed to begin mapping all underground utility lines — stormwater drains, sewerage, and water pipelines — to enable further development of the 120-acre racecourse land without disrupting horse racing activities.
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Plans include constructing portions of the new infrastructure one level below ground.
Officials from the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd also attended the meeting to coordinate the proposed pedestrian tunnel that would connect the racecourse with the underground Acharya Atre Chowk Metro 3 station. Mapping utilities is a crucial step not only for the racecourse's open space redesign, but also for integration with the underground Metro 3 line and the Mumbai Coastal Road project.
Architect Hafeez Contractor's team, which is helping BMC design the open space, was also present at the meeting. "The 120-acre space will stay open, and efforts are being made to ensure that any design done on it doesn't impact the horse racing ground. Addition to the existing parking facility was also discussed," said the civic official, adding that another meeting would be held soon to take these plans forward.