12 November,2024 08:42 AM IST | Mumbai | Hemal Ashar
The Royal Western India Turf Club will come up at Mahalaxmi Race Course. Pic/Shadab Khan
A new clubhouse is all set to come up at the Mahalaxmi Race Course near the existing Mini Turf Club at the racing venue. Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) chairman Surendra R Sanas in a letter dated November 11 to the club's 8,000 plus member base, which spoke about the end of the Pune racing season and reminded that the Mumbai racing season is coming up on November 24, stated specifically about the club house - "I am pleased to inform you that we have also received approval for a change of zone, which will enable us to build a clubhouse in Mumbai. With sufficient FSI (0.3 of the area), we have all the resources needed to bring this vision to life. The new clubhouse will not only secure our future but will also be one of the finest clubs in Mumbai, featuring state-of-the-art sporting facilities, rooms, and restaurants with spectacular views of our track."
Speaking to this reporter, Sanas said that the clubhouse will not take away any green or open area, it will be made where the defunct third enclosure stands at the race course. "It will be a standard procedure club, with a few rooms, facilities for table tennis, billiards, tennis, badminton, squash, and a regular swimming pool. There will be no cricket ground or golf course." The chairman stressed that no new structure is to come up at the site, only the unused stand will make way for this. "The plans will be sent to the BMC, and everything will be done according to rules and regulations," he said.
The context
In his communication to members, the chairman referenced the Turf Club House, Pune, saying that many are "already aware of the extensive upgrades and improvements we have made to the Pune Club House over the last couple of years." Some of the recent achievements the chairman cited are "successfully securing a 30-year lease for our club."
In January this year, the RWITC held a fiery open house meeting with club members and the then Municipal Commissioner, I S Chahal, at the Mahalaxmi Race Course. Chahal had then said that there is a proposal to extend the race course lease from 2023 to 2053 (the race course lease had expired in 2013), which is a straight 30 years.
The then commissioner had also assured that there would be no construction activity on the 120 acres that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) wished to acquire for race course land. Chahal had also said that the area to be taken from the race course will be retained as a public garden/theme park. The remaining 91 acres remained with the RWITC.
