Thane to get New York-inspired central park

“Thane has around 80 plus developed parks and this is the largest of them,” said deputy municipal commissioner Mitali Sancheti

Thane: Known as the City of Lakes, Thane is all set to get a Grand Central Park, a public park sprawled over 20.5 acres in Kolshet, and chief minister Eknath Shinde is scheduled to dedicate it to the public on February 8.

Thane, India - February ,05, 2024: The Thane Municipal Corporation has constructed a Grand Central Park at kolshet road in Thane on 20 acres of land and it will soon be open to the citizens ,in Thane, in Mumbai, India, on, Monday, February ,05, 2024. ( Praful Gangurde / HT Photo )

Inspired by New York’s iconic Grand Central Park and London’s Hyde Park, the Grand Central Park has been developed by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) under the Suvidha plot development project. Private developer Kalpataru which has a Park City project in Kolshet designed and developed the park as an amenity space in lieu of transfer of development rights (TDR) and has now handed over the amenity to the corporation.

The Grand Central Park has over 3,500 diverse species of trees and is packed with multiple amenities designed to make it an immersive experience for visitors. “The park has four themed parks including a Mughal garden, a Chinese park, a Moroccan park showcasing Moroccan culture, and a Japanese park. For fitness enthusiasts, the park offers a jogging track, the country’s largest skating yard, courts for lawn tennis, and volleyball, play equipment for children and dedicated spaces for yoga and meditation,” said Additional Commissioner (1) Sandeep Malvi adding that the park also has a large open amphitheatre.

It is also likely to be a birdwatchers’ delight with diverse birds flocking to the park’s water bodies. “Thane has around 80 plus developed parks and this is the largest of them,” said deputy municipal commissioner Mitali Sancheti. The corporation also manages a two-acre butterfly garden in a popular public park nestled close to Sanjay Gandhi National Park near Neelkanth Woods in Manpada.

Asked if the park would have an entry fee for visitors, officials said a review meeting of senior officials scheduled in the next two days will take a final decision.