While Delhi is busy preparing to host the countrys first Formula One Grand Prix,the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has widened its search for land to construct a F1 track in Mumbai. The MSRDC has invited expressions of interest from companies,joint ventures or special purpose vehicles,having land of about 400-500 acres or willing to acquire it,for the construction of a F1 track in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Companies have to submit their proposals by October 9. We are not sure if we will get the plots we were earlier looking at and we dont want the project to suffer,so we are widening our search, Chief Engineer Subhash Nage said. Once we get the expressions of interest,we will have a discussion with the companies and then decide on the course of action. The MSRDC had earlier zeroed in on three plots. One was on the Malad-Marve stretch,near the seafront,owned by the revenue department,the second plot was near Kalyan,while the third was along the Mumbai-Pune Expressway,near Pune. The corporation has appointed a consortium of Capita Symmonds Ltd,Populous Ltd and Delhi Integrated Multimodal Transit System as consultants for the project. The consultants will prepare a vision plan,a commercial feasibility study and prepare a public-private partnership concession contract. The F1 track would be constructed on a build-operate-transfer basis.
