As many as 119 architects, urban designers and planners have escalated their opposition to the proposed redevelopment of the Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai, sending a second, more detailed representation to the state government and the civic body after the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) presented the project’s master plan.
In a follow-up letter dated 26 February 2026 and now signed by 119 professionals, the Mumbai Architects Collective says that the presentation made by the BMC on 22nd February at Priyadarshini Park had raised additional concerns relating to cost estimates, parking scale, environmental risk, land governance and the absence of an integrated vision for what it described as a nearly 298-acre contiguous landscape comprising the racecourse and the Coastal Road gardens.
The civic body unveiled the Racecourse master plan and the Coastal Road Gardens concept plan. According to the collective, the updated details heightened apprehensions about the proposal's scale and financial viability.
Cost and Financial Transparency Questions
In their latest letter, the signatories referred to statements indicating that a proposed subway would cost around ₹500 crore. They noted that there was still no final cost estimate for the three basement levels planned beneath the racecourse, which are expected to include parking for 5,000 vehicles, a sports complex, and a convention facility.
The collective estimated the total project outlay at around ₹500–₹600 crore and questioned how tenders could be issued without comprehensive cost clarity. It also asked how such substantial capital would be mobilised when earlier statements had suggested that around ₹400 crore was not available for developing and maintaining the 173-acre Coastal Road open spaces.
Parking Scale and Traffic Impact
A major point of contention in the second letter is the scale of the proposed parking. The architects noted that 1,200 parking spaces had recently been created at Haji Ali and that the current proposal would add 5,000 underground parking spaces within the racecourse precinct, taking the total to 6,200 in the immediate area.
They have sought clarity on whether any traffic demand study or multimodal transport assessment had been conducted to justify this capacity, particularly given the proximity of Mahalaxmi railway station and the Metro network.
Climate and Hydrological Risks
The follow-up representation devotes significant attention to climate resilience and hydrology. Referring to the Mumbai Climate Action Plan 2022, the collective’s annexed technical note states that the 226-acre racecourse sits on historic marshland and functions as a permeable, flood-absorbing zone during the monsoon.
According to the architects, subsurface construction would reduce infiltration capacity, increase surface runoff and create long-term maintenance risks. They argued that replacing natural ground with basement slabs and parking structures would permanently compromise the site’s drainage function and run counter to nature-based solutions emphasised in the city’s climate strategy.
Land Governance and FSI Concerns
The collective also sought detailed public disclosure on land governance issues. It pointed out that around 93 acres of the racecourse remain under the control of the Royal Western India Turf Club and called for transparency regarding lease terms, development rights, floor space index (FSI) allocations and financial arrangements.
The letter further flagged what it described as arithmetic gaps in the allocation of land within the broader 226-acre site.
In addition, the architects questioned the governance model for the 173-acre Coastal Road gardens, which they said are being developed and operated by a private entity under a corporate social responsibility framework. They asked why equivalent public funding was reportedly unavailable for those gardens under direct public management, even as large sums appeared earmarked for underground infrastructure at the racecourse.
Earlier Letter Opposed Underground Construction
The latest communication builds on an earlier letter dated 19 February 2026, signed by 102 professionals, in which the collective stated that while it supported improved public access to the racecourse, it opposed underground parking structures and other built facilities beneath what it described as one of Mumbai’s last large natural, flood-absorbing grounds.
In that letter, the architects emphasised that the Mahalaxmi Racecourse is already public land and that opening it up does not require excavation or subsurface construction.
They cited Mumbai’s open space deficit, referring to the widely accepted figure of around 1.2 square metres of open space per person, compared to the World Health Organisation (WHO) norm of 9 square metres. Based on their own survey of H/W Ward, they claimed that accessible public open space there is as low as 0.87 square metres per person.
The first letter also questioned the financial rationale of prioritising large-scale underground works when funding constraints had earlier been cited for other public open space projects.
Call for Integrated Planning and Public Consultation
In their 26th February letter, the 119 signatories recommended that the racecourse and Coastal Road lands be treated as a single integrated precinct. They called for a comprehensive site survey, a multimodal transport study and a formal public engagement process before any final plan is approved.
The collective has requested a written response to each issue raised within 14 days and has sought a joint meeting with the state government and the BMC.
The opposition from 119 architects and planners adds a professional and technical dimension to the debate over the future of the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, even as the state government and the BMC have yet to issue a detailed public response to the latest representation.
You may also want to read…
