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in place of Race Course, what?

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Written By murali772 - 4 August, 2008

Bangalore Trees parking suggestion Race Course

What's coming up in the place supposedly being vacated by the Race Course? According to a TOI piece sometime back, underground parking lots will be constructed. However, no mention has been made about the ground level: public space? shops and malls?

Shastri had brought this up in the passing in this comment where he had stated that:

According to this hindu story, there is no mention of an integrated transport hub. Apparently they want to keep the space as a open green space with an underground parking lot

The matter came up for discussion recently in a Yahoogroup, which I thought fit to migrate here



KL posted:
Apparently it has been decided that the racecourse will be shifted "to a location outside the city". There's been occasional press about this issue, but it looks like things are ramping up now. Does anyone know any details about this decision? What is going to take the place of the current race course ?

NS added:
One of the old suggestions was to create a Legislators Home (another one). I dont think they will let anything which helps the public, although parking lot is not a good thing to happen. Probably its TOI's wishlist.

The ideal thing would be to make it a lung space. I had written to the BBMP and the governor last year to make Palace grounds a lung space. They promptly sent a note back saying its under litigation.

Btw- they have annihalated Race course road. All the trees are out. They have also cut all the remaining trees on Hosur Road near the Silk board flyover and the St.Johns road. Madness reigns.

GS added:
It's fairly common around the world to have underground public parking lots with a park (of the green variety) above. But the BBMP will probably cite the higher costs of building a underground lot and then build a mall to make the venture 'self-sustaining' with the promise of 2000 car parks for the public and finally you will end up with 3000 cars turning up at the mall that will end up parking all along Nrupathunga and Race Course roads. And then, it will be time for a Elevated Link Road between Nrupathunga Road and Race Course Road and the story continues... .

VN added:
I hope they dont end up making it a huge mall with the kind of parking that Gopal mentions. But we do need public spaces and a museum / cultural institutional area is wanted. I guess we need to have our voices heard and see if a public consultation process can take root for such projects too. Maybe we can promote a campaign for such a thing.

AN added:
I sometimes wonder why there is no will to create yet another Lalbagh...something which would be a botanists delight.
All of us will appreciate that Lalbagh is a "botanical" garden and not just a lawn with a few trees, which we now are termed as urban green spaces.
We lost an opportunity at the Freedom Park...I don't know if this suggestion is worthy, anyways, my two penny thought.

AS added:
Interesting Idea. I think HasiruUsiru should meet the authorities at BBMP and find out about their plans. They ahve chopped down so many trees, the transplanting could be done there.. instead of spending loads of money on logistics.

Muralidhar Rao

COMMENTS

Supreme Court Bench in South India

mcadambi - 11 August, 2008 - 09:10

Looks like i am vindicated!

http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/11/stories/2008081163450400.htm

Lets start an online Campaign for a Supreme Court Bench in place of the Race Course. 

SC @RC: I second it

idontspam - 11 August, 2008 - 09:38

and third it and fourth it... Not sure if it needs so much space though and if some of it can be left green (not with grass but with trees)

temple, masjid, church, - - complex

murali772 - 9 September, 2008 - 07:55

Hey! Why not a grand temple, masjid, church, gurudwara, synagogue, fire-temple complex, in say the land vacated by the Race Course, or any such vacant government land, to which all roadside shrines are then ceremoniously shifted. Check
http://mysore.praja.in/bangalore/blog/murali772/2008/06/28/shrine-entrepreneurship

But, thereafter of course, the government has to ensure that no more shrines come up on the roadsides.

Muralidhar Rao

 

keep it non commercial

narayan82 - 9 September, 2008 - 08:42

commercial useage of the land that involves infrastructure, private parties and lots of money, means the land was cleared for kickbacks!

re-locating the race course, and making a park out of it, or keeping it green is a great idea. I completely support it.

 A supreme court too, is a good idea - it can be combined with a park and lake. And at the same time serve all. 

But all forces must be used to block the land from vested interests.

Use it for Supreme Court Bench / Tribunal Benches / Judicial

mcadambi - 5 August, 2008 - 14:50

IMO, the land from which the Race Course operates should be used for Judicial purposes. We can have a Superem Court Bench in Bangalore and host the Tribunals / Branch offices of various Government of India offices. We can also perhaps bid to host the Over The Counter Exchange of India in Bangalore instead of Mumbai.

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