Decks cleared for multi-level car parking project

Trichy: Almost a year after a consultant identified by Trichy corporation took up a feasibility study and okayed the proposal to establish a multi-level car parking (MLCP) on West Boulevard road under smart cities mission, the civic body has earmarked adequate land for the project. Already facing flak for the slow progress of smart city projects, the civic body on Saturday razed down a recreational club on its property after overcoming a legal hurdle in evicting it which has been delaying the project.
As Trichy’s commercial streets located around Rockfort have no dedicated parking facilities, local people park their cars on the roads thus impeding vehicular movement towards commercial streets. Utilizing the smart cities mission funds and adopting a smart parking policy, the corporation

identified about an acre of land in City Club on West Boulevard road for the MLCP at an estimate of Rs 20.28 crore. The civic body was said to have leased its property to the club way back in 1905 which was extended for another 25 years in 1989. The corporation has been collecting only a paltry Rs 1,613 as annual rent from the club since the financial year 2012-13. Meanwhile, as the land was needed for the parking project to decongest Trichy, the civic body on September 25, 2013, cancelled the lease agreement and directed the club to hand over the property. Not obliging the order, the leisure club representatives approached the Madurai bench of Madras high court. However, the bench in a recent directive granted permission to the civic body to take over their property.

“The property used by the club belongs to us and we needed it to launch the smart car parking project. As a solution arrived for the legal dispute recently, we retrieved the property,” corporation commissioner N Ravichandran said. In the presence of revenue officials and police personnel, the civic body on Saturday secured the movable properties and razed down the century-old club building on West Boulevard road. Corporation officials said that work order was awarded to a firm recently for constructing the MLCP.

The civil work is likely to commence in June after the model code of conduct is lifted. “It will take a minimum 1.5 years to complete the parking project,” the commissioner told TOI. Since the proposed infrastructure will have entry and exit points on both Madurai road and West Boulevard road, MLCP is expected to decongest the arterial roads heading to Mainguard gate and Singarathope, the city’s commercial hubs. The MLCP will also have provisions to rent out space for commercial outlets to meet the maintenance expense.

Much-Needed Car Parking
Estimated cost: Rs 20.28 crore
Area: 3,889 sq.m.
2-wheeler parking capacity: 528
4-wheeler parking capacity: 150
Space for commercial units in MLCP: 26 shops + 1 restaurant
Location: Between Madurai road and West Boulevard road
Status: Civil work to begin in a month
Pictures:
MLCP Model: The 3D model of MLCP proposed on West Boulevard road.

Carparking1,2: The recreational club being brought down by the corporation : R BASKAR
Carparking3: The board put up by the civic body after retrieving its property on West Boulevard road.: R BASKAR