Bhendi Bazaar Setting sail for Cluster

Transcription

44
The Masterbuilder | September 2014 | www.masterbuilder.co.in
URBAN PLANNING: CLUSTER REDEVELOPMENT
BHENDI BAZAAR:
Setting sail for Cluster Redevelopment
Sadagopan Seshadri
Chief - Content Development,
CE - Infrastructure - Environment
The genesis
'In the north-west of Dongri there existed a plantation of the spesia populnia or
bhendi which has given its name as Bhendi
Bazaar' used to be an irrigation tract in its
early days, which later got developed by
the British to resettle communities affected by the great Mumbai fire that broke in
1803 at the British Fort area (as mentioned in the Maharashtra State Gazette);
Which eventually mushroomed into an
active business district of sorts.
Some say, the origin of the name is
that the British residing to the south of
Crawford Market in Fort, referred to this
area to the north of Crawford Market as
"Behind the Bazaar" which the natives
picked this as "Bhendi Bazaar"
Bhendi Bazaar: A palimpsest of Mumbai's
History
Bhendi Bazaar occupied an area between Mohammed Ali Road and Khetwadi.
The closest Central and Harbour railway
station is Sandhurst Road, and the closest
Western railway stations are Charni Road
and Grant Road. The bazaar is popular for
shopping viz antique items, hardware
items.
There are other markets surrounding
Bhendi Bazaar such as Crawford Market
(Phule Market), Chor Bazaar, Nul Bazaar,
and other small markets. Bhendi Bazaar
is primarily a Muslim-populated area,
home to Muslims with origins in all parts
of India, especially Maharashtra, Gujarat,
and the Northern states. Shop-owners
and hawkers in this market belong to different religious groups.
Socio-economic Dynamics
The sixteen-acre area known as Bhendi Bazaar currently suffers from the
stresses of a centuries-old infrastructure and bogged down by an equally aging
housing stock.
The streets perennially congested, the area pathetically lacking even basic
utilities such as sewage treatment and families putting up cramped tenements
with neither adequate ventilation nor light. New government regulations
concerning cluster development allow for a significantly increased Floor Space
Index (FSI). The Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust purchased a significant portion
of the Bazaar's crumbling buildings with the sole mission of delivering to the
community a completely redesigned area. (Photos 2,4,5 & 6)
The greatly enhanced scale of the new development therefore includes
improved housing for all of Bhendi Bazaar's current inhabitants, a sustainable
infrastructure, and several large buildingsthe sale and rental of which provide
the funds for this enormous undertaking. (Photo 1)
Also,under the new plan the Raudat Tahera mausoleum and Saifee Masjid, two
religiously significant buildings currently cut off from one another, have been
united in a central protected complex. (Photos 14 & 15)
The Saifee Burhani Upliftment Project provides current residents with a vastly
improved quality of life, unifying the mosque and mausoleum in a secure
complex and adding a significant source of revenue through its sale towers.
(Photos 16,17 & 18)
ness Dr. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin.
The trust facilitates short and long-term
interest-free credit disbursement, which
in turn, helped in arresting larger effects
of recession, and facilitated capital inflow
in the area.
The area also houses Raudat Tahera,
the mausoleum of the 51st Dai-al-Mutlaq
of the Dawoodi Bohras, Syedna Taher
Saifuddin and 52nd dai-al-Mutlaq syedna
Mohammed Burhanuddin. This witnesses considerable pilgrim tourism due
to the religious and cultural centers situated in the area like the world renowned
The Aberration: A Community's Life &
Livelihood at Stake!
Time has kept up the entrepreneur
Photo 2 : About four fifths of the 250 buildings in the area are dilapidated and
unfit for occupation
45
Photo 1: The Bhendi Bazaar district, foreground, where the majority of the
community is made up of Dawoodi Bohra Muslims.
Raudat Tahera, the mausoleum of
Syedna Taher Saifuddin. (Photos 14 & 15)
Taking into consideration all these
socio-economic dynamics, mainstream
market players particularly from the service and hospitality sectors along with
small manufacturers have put-up outlets
in the area providing job opportunities and
alternate source of income to many a
household in Bhendi Bazaar.
Even during the global economic slowdown that affected Indian market growth
in the last decade, this area having distinct
business dynamics, saw economic reforms such as diversification and new
business ventures while indulging in minimal credit facilities.
This largely has been possible as over
50% of the 1250 commercial establishments in the project area are owned by
Dawoodi Bohras one of the oldest mercantile communities that first settled in
the city during the 18th century. Known for
their business acumen, Dawoodi Bohra
businesses in Bhendi Bazaar and elsewhere have grown exponentially by benefitting from the Qardan Hasana Trust, a
global financial institute established by
the community's spiritual leader His Holi-
IN A NUT SHELL
Photo 3: The narrow century-old streets of Bhendi Bazaar are lined with shops
selling a range of wares from car parts to clothes.
accommodation three years back.
In the last three years, more than 170
people have died in at least 11 incidents of
building collapse.
At stake are 80% of buildings that suffer from dangerous dilapidation and constant repairs, compounded with critically
congested 150 year old arterial roads.
All this cumulatively pose serious risk
to human life and property. Dilapidated
buildings crashing, taking life toll has
been going on, which calls for urgent
redevelopment as best recourse for the
hapless dwellers.
Be it petty shopkeepers or value
added service providers depending on various businesses requiring spacious floorspace all macro and micro market players have adversely been affected due to
continuously diminishing urban facilities
46
spirit of this community but has taken a
heavy toll on the buildings it dwells in and
operates its business. (See Photos 2, 4, 5
& 6)
On Tuesday, August 5, A portion of
Aysha building, including the staircase,
partially collapsed in Bhendi Bazar. The
building was declared as dangerous by
Mhada two years ago but three families
continued to stay in it at the time of the collapse. The families have been moved to a
temporary accommodation. This monsoon it is the third building in Bhendi
Bazar that has collapsed.
A portion of Galabhai Chawl had
crashed , just a month back, around 11pm
on July 9 following heavy rain. The building was classified by the MHADA as dangerous and unfit for living. Fortunately, all
the tenants had safely moved to transit
Photo 4: Most buildings are at risk of collapse or outbreaks of fire.
Entrepreneurial resilience 'Takes a Call'
in 2009 the Maharashtra state government decided to come up with the cluster development policy. That gave The
Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT),
the Mumbai based Dawoodi Bohra
organisation the vehicle to implement
the project since till then there was no
mechanism to take up cluster redevelopment. So as soon as this policy was announced SBUT seized the opportunity and
this Trust was formed immediately to
take up redevelopment of the 16.5 Acre
Bhendi Bazaar off the bustling Mohammed Ali Road, three kilometres from the
scenic Victoria Terminus railway station.
The entire project with an estimated cost
of ` 4,000 crore, is being funded by SBUT.
The newly proposed Bhendi Bazaar
redevelopment project undertaken by
Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust ( SBUT)
will astonishingly have a 54.55% ground
coverage post redevelopment. The SBUT
proposal is interesting, because Bhendi
Bazaar with an overall 74% ground coverage, the present 66,264.74 Sq. m. area has
one of the highest population density in
South Mumbai.
The project, according to the widely used
economic theory, is constrained optimization which aims for reaching a set of best
solutions to a matrix of defined problems.
Based on its redevelopment idea SBUT decided on engaging the 'best for job' experts:
-
Photo 5: A total of 17 buildings have been demolished and their residents moved to transit accommodation
built by Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust while Bhendi Bazaar is being redeveloped.
-
Mandviwala Qutub and Associates:
Master Planner and Architects
PerkinsEastman:ConsultantArchitect
KPMG, India : Internal Auditors
Deloitte Haskins and Sells, India: Statutory Auditors
Systra MVA Consulting (India):Traffic
Consultants
with the existing roads of the city; as
well as that of proper roads, infrastructure, parking, sustainable
development, green development in
the overall context
For the religious structures not only
to be retained in their original places
but also opened up on all sides so that
they could afford a better visual connectivity
Retain the commercial character of
the place and to continue with the fabric and vibrancy of the existing Bhendi
Bazaar. So eateries, pedestrian walkways, and pedestrian plazas created
to enhance the vibrancy of the place
-
-
Photo 6: About four fifths of Bhendi Bazaar's 250 buildings are considered dilapidated,
dangerous and planned for demolition
-
Halcrow Consulting India: Structural
Consultants
AECOM : MEP & Infra Consultants
Knight Frank (India): Market Research
Consultants
Noor Enterprises: Design and Build
ContractorforTransitAccommodation
The Client brief was:
The Master plan: concept & Design provide the where with all
-
-
-
To create eight or nine pockets that
could take care of the density
Addressing holistically wind direction, light and ventilation while orienting each of deliverables
To recast all the roads and workout
the infrastructure and the traffic movement
For integration: of the proposed roads
48
The upliftment and urban planning of
the 16.5 acres of existing development.
The buildings had to be recasted, redesigned, remodelled and keeping the cultural fabric of the place intact; to maintain
the religious structures as they were.
Therefore, going by The SBUT brief
unlike a normal developer's redevelop-
ment project, this was an upliftment project and as such about 75-80 percent of
the land is given back to original owners
on redevelopment with just 30 percent
being put up for sale.
Photo 7:The ` 4000 crore Bhendi Bazaar redevelopment will bring down all the dilapidated
buildings & offer to families and businesses in modern skyscrapers with all facilities
The plan is thus to deliver one of the
best planned High Street shopping areas
offering maximum shopping potential.
This redeveloped Bhendi Bazaar could
then serve as an organized 16.5 acre of
high street shopping.
The international best practices has
been adopted for all aspects from the orientation, maximum light, to green
spaces, maximum ventilation and utilisation of space, number of parking spaces,
fire fighting and safety devices, vertical
transportation, composition of materials,
right from the façade to cladding materials is of international standards. No compromise has been allowed either on the
On the Architects, Planners &
Engineers lap fall the design
challenges related to:
-
Research & Innovate : due to lack
of precedent to such a project;
-
High density to be handled,
-
Accommodating shopping
within minimum levels
-
Each sub clusters to be complete
with its own parking and residential units fitting in as also catering enough room for light, ventilation and open areas for children.
-
Create desired ambience, accomodate density without compromising on space for natural light
and ventilation, the orientation
done in such a way that the
development is sustainable.
That is what all had to be brought into
the master plan.
infrastructure or technologies right from
STPs, solar panels, etc. as far as best practice & standards are concerned.
There could be various ways to view
this grandiose redevelopment or better
still to be rightly described as upliftment
endeavor, Some of these, I feel would necessarily be the ones spelt out here, for its
post development success .
In purely economic perspective: A 300%
Growth!
Photo 8: The Commercial Transit Home at Noorbaug offered by the Saifee Burhani
Upliftment Trust till redevelopment is completed
Photo 9: Residents of demolished buildings provided with transit accommodation, above, built by the SBUT,
till redevelopment is complete & Newly built houses are given.
Pristine glory = Growth with cultural flavor intact:
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Photo 10: Exterior View of Transit
And by these unique plus points, the
economic evolution of Bhendi Bazaar from
a typical, unplanned bazaar can become a
logically laid maximum impact spread, as
Bhendi Bazaar will be having Mumbai's
longest high-street shopping area.
The best part of this, however, is that it
would, as wanted by SBUT (read 'the
existing BB community & businesses)
serve both purposes of retaining to their
traditional bazaar essence as well as provide a contemporary business environ.
From a purely economic perspective,
the non-profit redevelopment initiative in
the area would shift the perfectly inelastic
supply curve of commercial and residential land to the right. This would lead to an
increase in consumer surplus to the residents and additionally provide positive
externalities to the surrounding areas
such as over 15 m wide internal peripheral roads for vehicular movement, separate loading-unloading facilities for commercial vehicles and 1,16,153.93 Sq m of
much needed parking facility in the area.
Currently, even in the absence of quality shopping area catering to needs of all
strata of society in the three kilometer
radius around the proposed Bhendi
Bazaar redevelopment site, an average
100,000 footfall are registered today.
As it seems to be the case, unlike the
present inequitable market scenario,
both complementary and substitute
goods' stakeholders in the neighborhood
are to be provided with shops strategically
facing the main roads!! Imagine the wonders it will do each one the establishments from footfalls view point! Well, a
conservative approximation of a threefold commerce and trade growth tends to
be a reasonable prediction consequential
to a much broader customer base postredevelopment.
Cost Sustainability:
Photo 11: A view of Rooms
In essence, Bhendi Bazaar's parameters of economic growth will continue to
largely be defined on the lines of the area's
rich cultural and evergreen social vibrancy.
The fact that all religious and cultural
architectural structures are to be retained,
is also complemented by, even all the businesses and residents too being relocated
back in the same locality. These exceptional factors would, without doubt, reinstate the unique cultural flavor, and reinforce Bhendi Bazaar's past business glory.
Subsequently, economic stimulus
will be in employment gains, leveraged investment, and revitalized neighborhoods
while fiscal impacts would include generating new sources of local revenue derived
from previously less productive establishments.
50
Viability Mantra
The Bhendi Bazaar redevelopment
Project's execution viability hinges on a
well nourished blend of Cost Sustainability
ably backed by community Faith, trust &
Photo 12: Lobby of the Commercial Transit
Hope of Promising Livelihood, Culture preservation & Better Quality of Life reposed
by it on the SBUT.
Having said all of this, I would like to
unequivocally bring out as to how & why
the execution of this venture has most
positives to make it successful.
Quality Consciousness:
Conscious of quality, SBUT chose
international tendering. It awarded the
project to Mumbai-based Mandviwala
Qutub and Associates as master planners
and architects and US-based Perkins
Eastman International as consulting
architect. The local Architect actually is
said to be absolutely conversant with the
area and can fully connect with its ground
realities. This ensures that he will make
no mistakes of missing out on those
aspects & factors that are vital to stakeholders though not explicitly spelt out in
'client briefs'. Perkins Eastman International has vast experience and professionally sound.
Money spent on cluster development
can be derived from commercial buildings.
It is not cost intensive as compared to
greenfield acquisition. Doing redevelopment projects does not require the rigmarole of acquisition, and procurement cost.
There is expert opinion, that this actually lets a 120% return in a redevelopment
project!
In the instant case, no land purchase
for the redevelopment; As much as 80 per
cent of the redeveloped property will be
given back to the original owners, the residents and the shopkeepers, while the rest
will be sold in the open market.
This meant. the formula, 'zero land cost
+ the 20% part's sale proceeds' enable
meeting total project burden, allowing the
redevelopmenttocomfortablysailthrough.
Faith & Culture:
The daily life of Bohras revolves around
Raudat Tahera, the mausoleum that stands
at the heart of Bhendi Bazaar. The entire
Quran is inscribed on its walls in gold. The
structure was built in the memory of the
52nd Dai's father, Syedna Taher Saifuddin,
who passed away in 1965.
Shaikh Abdeali Bhanpurawala, secretary of SBUT, says that due to people's
faith in the Dai, it was easy to get the mandatory consent of 70 per cent of the residents for redevelopment.
Come evening , the streets around
Raudat Tahera get busier, with people
coming to offer prayers before the marble
grave of the 51st Dai.
Hope of Promising Livelihood & Better
Quality of Life:
There is Hope of Promising Livelihood
& Better Quality of Life post redevelopment, that is 4 years down the timeline,
they will be in a modern township.
Photo 13: Proposed shopping and streetscape layout
Opinions
Photo 14: Raudat Tahera Mausoleum , Bhendi Bazaar Mumbai
Opinions may differ as to ways the redevelopment takes place but one indisputable fact that cannot be brushed away
is the urgent need to bring the dilapidated
century old buildings of Bhendi Bazaar and
to rehab dwellers, to arrest further life
risk & loss.
Once these basics are addressed, the
aspects of concern less serious than death,
like social fabric, ambience, cultural displacement and likes of these can be taken
up intellectually! Having voiced my concern for 'value of life', I cite, the various
opinions on the other concerns of this
redevelopment.
On the project's impact on affecting adversely the social fabric:
"Residents in the area have bonded
for decades. Most of them live and work in
the same area. That lifestyle will see a big
change," opines Mustansir Dalvi, a professor of architecture at Sir JJ College in
nearby Dhobi Talao. Opening up the area
to commercial development would lead
to gentrification since high prices of land
would attract only the well-heeled, he says.
"By going in for cluster development, the
government is ignoring other alternatives.
52
Photo 15: Saifee Masjid, Bhendi Bazaar, Mumbai
The redeveloped Bhendi Bazaar will
have 9 sub-clusters with 17 buildings, The
17 towers to come up will rise from south
to north to catch wind from the sea. The
tallest of the 17 towers will have about 65
floors. In an area bereft of any green cover,
SBUT plans to plant 500 trees. The main
roads will be 16-metre wide, with sidewalks and parking lots.
Each self-sustained cluster will have
rainwater harvesting and water recycling
facilities, sewage treatment plants and
solar panels.
All houses will have a minimum area
of 350 sq ft. Many houses now are just 100
sq ft. "Initially, we were planning to provide
a minimum 320 sq ft area, but when we
took the project to the Syedna, he insisted
that it should be at least 350," says SBUT
CEO Abbas Master, a civil engineer and a
former Wockhardt executive. He says the
project is planned to improve the living
conditions of the entire population in the
earmarked area, not just the Bohras.
A broad observation that reinforces
this hope is that more than 1,200 families
have been rehabilitated in transit colonies
such as the Saifee Burhani Park with 750
rooms in nearby Anjeerwadi. The Transit
homes are fully equipped with all facilities. (See photos 8 to 12)
More than 87 per cent of the buildings
have been acquired and are being demolished and the occupants have been
shifted to residential/commercial transit
facilities, created near the project site.
Photo 16: Bhendi Bazaar New Look
- View from from JJ
Photo 17: Bhendi Bazaar New Skyline
Old and precarious buildings could have
been brought down individually," he says.
It should not be overlooked that The
SBUT design brief has ensured in enough
ways to fully maintain status quo with
respect cultural, societal as well as architectural integrity. And this is a giant step
by all means, more so because as brought
here-in SBUT has also sought for an novel
viability mode, that works for businesses
as well as dwellers.
Top Mumbai-based developer & MD
of Hiranandani Constructions Niranjan
Hiranandan's comment here that
'Any redevelopment in the area, where
buildings often collapse, is welcome', and
"There was much opposition to Singa-
TheNostalgia-Whatonlyafewmightknow!
Mumbai's only classical music gharana,
the Bhendi Bazaar gharana (as the name
suggests) originated here. Founded in the
19th century by brothers, Chhajju Khan,
Nazir Khan and Khadim Hussain Khan, this
gharana quickly became very popular.
Yes, what only a few might know is: It
is said, Shubha Mudgal, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle are some of its
well-known exponents.
The word goes on here, even on a reel
of names of Bollywood stalwarts Kaifi
Azmi, Saadat Hasan Manto, Sahir
Ludhianvi, and Janisar Akhtar who it is
said were Bohri Mohalla dwellers at some
point in their lives.
How many of the multitude, who zoom
over the flyover day in and day out, are or
ever have been aware of these aspects of
the rich history of ' Bhendi Bazaar ?! w
Image Courtesy:
1 - 9 Subhash Sharma for The National
Author's Bio
The author leads our Delhi bureau. An
Engineer and qualified ADR professional (NALSAR alumnus), Sadagopan
Seshadri has been a senior Contract
Management Professional in large
national & International Companies.
His domain experience is in Building
Products, Cement plants and Mega
Power project execution. He has been
an expert visiting faculty and univ. examiner for Contract Management at the
SSAA, IP University, New Delhi.
54
pore's redevelopment, but I don't think anyone is complaining now," speaks volumes.
Truly, If due diligence is done then
redevelopment, where needed is socially
fruitful and a wise business to be taken up
in right earnest.
Being passionate about Environment he
has now turned to Landscape Projects
design teamed with like-minded architects & engineers for sustainable landscapes development He is vocal with his
viewsontheseareasthroughhis writings.
He can be reached at:
design2xcel@gmail.com
Photo 18: Bird's Eye View

Bhendi Bazaar Setting sail for Cluster

Transcription

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