Opposition Parties Reject Plan to De-Reserve Alexandra Theatre in Byculla
A proposal to de-reserve the 1,005.03-square-metre plot of the defunct Alexandra Theatre in Byculla for residential use has triggered strong pushback from opposition parties in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders warned that clearing the change could set a dangerous precedent for 119 cinema-theatre reservations across Mumbai.
The proposal was tabled before the BMC Improvement Committee on August 12, but was put on hold following objections raised by opposition corporators. The matter is expected to return to the committee for consideration at its next meeting.
Mumbai's Development Plan 2034 (DP-2034) includes 119 cinema-theatre reservations spanning a total area of 3,09,284.08 square metres. Opposition members argue that cancelling the reservation on one closed facility could encourage similar conversion requests across the city.
In a formal letter to Improvement Committee chairperson Sandhya Doshi, Congress corporator and committee member Meher Haider demanded that the proposal be rejected outright. She argued that a cinema reservation should not be revoked simply because an establishment has remained closed.
Haider called for the public disclosure of the operational status of all 119 cinema-theatre reservations under DP-2034. She also sought comprehensive details regarding additional Floor Space Index (FSI), overall development potential, and projected private financial gains linked to the proposed modification, alongside a White Paper on modifications to reservations for open spaces, recreation grounds, and playgrounds.
Shiv Sena (UBT) senior corporator Sachin Padwal noted that the Byculla cinema hall has remained shut since 2007 without any formal attempts to revive it. He stated that altering the reservation would strip local residents of an important recreational facility following redevelopment and insisted his party would not permit the plan to pass.
A senior civic official stated that the theatre has remained unused for nearly two decades after closing permanently in 2007. The official noted that the proposal to allow residential development on the plot originated from a recommendation by the state Urban Development Department.
Opposition to the redevelopment plan has also emerged from the Kamathipura Vikas Samiti. The local committee submitted an appeal urging the Municipal Commissioner to retain the existing public reservation and formally reject the conversion to residential use.
