53 Housing Societies in Kandivali Set to Undergo Major Cluster Redevelopment

In one of the largest cluster redevelopment projects, 53 housing societies in Mumbai's Kandivali area are planning to come together to redevelop their 26-year-old housing complex. The housing complex is located in the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) layout and was built by MHADA in 2000.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Complex in Kandivali, spread over 12 acres, comprises 53 housing societies and houses 3,488 families in 225 sq ft apartments each.

Cluster development is an urban redevelopment approach where multiple adjoining buildings or plots are combined and redeveloped as one large project. It allows better planning, improved infrastructure, wider roads, open spaces, and amenities, while enabling rehabilitation of existing residents and more efficient use of land in crowded cities. Examples of cluster redevelopment in the Mumbai real estate market include MHADA layouts like Motilal Nagar (Goregaon), Abhyudaya Nagar (Parel), Adarsh Nagar (Worli), Bandra Reclamation, and GTB Nagar (Sion), Kamathipura. Several private housing societies also undergo cluster redevelopment.

According to residents, the buildings are in dilapidated condition. The structural deterioration is compounded by severe infrastructural deficits. The internal road network is 'extremely narrow,' creating daily gridlock and fundamentally compromising resident access and safety in a layout of this density. As a result, the residents of 53 housing societies are planning to come together to undergo redevelopment.

We recently conducted a meeting, and our current status is that out of 53 housing societies, 34 housing societies are in favor of the redevelopment, and 19 are still under discussion. We hope to get all the housing societies on board. However, as per the cluster norms, we need a majority of 60% housing societies, which we have, but are hopeful that all the societies will come together, Sachin Chavan, secretary of one of the building societies and a committee member looking after the redevelopment, told Hindustan Times Real Estate.

Under current norms, as many as 3,488 homeowners reside in 225 sq ft apartments, and post-redevelopment, they can get a 610 sq ft apartment. The developer will get to construct another 3,488 apartments, which is equivalent to FSI to be sold in the open market, from which he can generate profit for our rehabilitation, Chavan said.

The committee is preparing tender documents for the redevelopment and has already appointed Akbar Jiwani as their project management consultant. Chavan said the tender for redevelopment is expected to be floated after February 15.

According to the minutes of the meeting (MoM) of the redevelopment committee, the residents want a 610 sq ft (Maharashtra Apartment Ownership Act) MOFA carpet area for each residential unit, along with a monthly rent of ₹25,000 in the first year, ₹27,500 in the second year, and ₹30,000 in the third year. The residents have also sought transportation charges of ₹10,000 per flat and a corpus fund of ₹1,000 per sq ft, amounting to ₹2.25 lakh per flat.

The tender should clearly specify flat planning, electrical fittings, plumbing and amenities, and include a mandatory bank guarantee from the developer as per MHADA norms. They have further insisted that the developer or contractor be a reputed entity, according to MoM.

MHADA layout refers to large residential land parcels planned and developed by the MHADA in Mumbai. These layouts typically include multiple old housing buildings, internal roads, and amenities, and are often taken up for cluster redevelopment to modernize infrastructure, increase housing stock, and rehabilitate residents.