3 days ago
Mumbai Opposition Challenges Alexandra Theatre Residential Conversion
Mumbai officials are considering changing the land-use rule for the closed Alexandra Theatre in Byculla.
This change would allow the site to be used for housing instead of a cinema.
The theatre has been closed since 2007.
Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and a local community group oppose the change.
They say people could lose an important entertainment and recreation space.
They also worry that approving this request could encourage other closed cinemas to seek the same change.
Mumbai’s current plan includes 119 cinema-theatre reservations.
A civic official says the proposal is being considered because the theatre has been unused for nearly two decades and was recommended by the state Urban Development Department.
The BMC Improvement Committee has not yet ruled on de-reserving Byculla’s 1,005.03-square-metre Alexandra Theatre for residential use.
Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) warn that the move could set a precedent for other closed cinemas.
The proposal was tabled on August 12, 2026, then put on hold after opposition objections.
Mumbai’s DP-2034 contains 119 cinema-theatre reservations covering 309,284.08 square metres.
A civic official said the theatre has been unused since permanently closing in 2007 and that the proposal follows a state Urban Development Department recommendation.
- Who
- The BMC Improvement Committee, Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), the Kamathipura Vikas Samiti, and a state Urban Development Department recommendation are involved.
- What
- Officials are considering de-reserving Alexandra Theatre’s site for residential development instead of retaining its cinema reservation.
- Where
- Alexandra Theatre in Byculla, Mumbai.
- When
- The proposal was tabled on August 12, 2026, and the report is dated August 29, 2026; the theatre has been closed since 2007.
- Why
- The proposal concerns a theatre that has remained unused for nearly two decades, while opponents want the cinema reservation retained to protect public recreational space and avoid setting a precedent.
Opposition and community groups
Civic and state position
Whether to remove the cinema reservation
Opposition and community groups
Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Kamathipura Vikas Samiti want the existing reservation retained, arguing that the site could be reconstructed or the cinema modernised and that residents would lose a recreational space.
Civic and state position
A senior civic official said the theatre has been unused since its permanent closure in 2007 and that the residential-conversion proposal is based on a recommendation from the state Urban Development Department.
Impact on other closed cinemas
Opposition and community groups
Opponents warn that approving the change could set a precedent and open the way for similar claims involving other closed theatres.
Civic and state position
The reported civic justification focuses on the Alexandra Theatre’s nearly two decades of disuse; the article does not state a separate response to the precedent argument.
Transparency and public benefit
Opposition and community groups
Congress has requested disclosure of all 119 cinema-theatre reservations, additional FSI, development potential, possible private financial gains, and a White Paper on changes to public reservations.
Civic and state position
The proposal remains under consideration by the BMC Improvement Committee and has not yet been approved.
Key facts
- Property
- Alexandra Theatre, Byculla
- Site area
- 1,005.03 square metres
- Theatre closure
- Permanently closed in 2007
- DP-2034 reservations
- 119 cinema-theatre reservations
- Total reserved area
- 309,284.08 square metres
- Committee status
- Proposal put on hold and likely to return at the next meeting
- Opposition groups
- Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Kamathipura Vikas Samiti
Quotes
Sachin Padwal
Shiv Sena (UBT) senior corporator and member of the BMC Improvement Committee
“Changing the reservation would deprive local residents of an important recreational and entertainment space after redevelopment. It would also set a precedent, opening the floodgates for similar claims by other closed theatres. We will not allow this proposal to be approved.”
freepressjournal.in
“If a dilapidated building can be reconstructed and a closed cinema modernised and restarted, why cancel the reservation altogether and clear the way for residential development?”
freepressjournal.in
A senior civic official
Unidentified municipal official commenting on the de-reservation proposal
“The theatre, which permanently shut in 2007, has remained unused for nearly two decades. The proposal is based on a recommendation from the state Urban Development Department (UDD).”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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