Shut for four years, Byculla bungalow to be restored ahead of Mumbai’s new mayor; civic officials said renovation work is now being taken up on priority to ensure the residence is ready for occupation
The BMC has begun repair and restoration work at the Mumbai mayor’s bungalow located on the premises of Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden and Zoo. Anti-termite treatment, leak repairs, and refinishing work are underway. Pic/Ashish Raje
After remaining shut and unused for nearly four years, the Mumbai Mayor’s bungalow, located inside the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden and Zoo at Byculla, is set to undergo renovation and restoration ahead of the appointment of the city’s next mayor. The bungalow has remained vacant since 2022. Civic officials said renovation work is now being taken up on priority to ensure the residence is ready for occupation.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was unable to float tenders earlier due to the model code of conduct, which came into force after the civic elections were announced on December 15, 2025. As a result, while the renovation work has now commenced, the final costing of the project will be done post facto.
What will the renovation include?
>> The restoration work is scheduled to be completed within 60 days and will include:
>> General cleaning of the premises as well as the replacement and upgrading of upholstery
>> Repair, polishing and restoration of heritage furniture
>> Replacement of damaged seating
>> Waterproofing, wherever required
>> Painting of the bungalow
When was bungalow last used?
>> Former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar of the Shiv Sena (UBT) last used the Byculla bungalow as her official residence during her tenure until 2017.
>> The property was vacated after the completion of the BMC general body’s term for 2017 to 2022, following the end of the mayoral tenure in March 2022.
>> Prior to this, the Mumbai mayor’s official residence was located opposite Shivaji Park, overlooking the sea at Dadar beach. That bungalow was vacated in 2018 by Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, who served as mayor between March 2017 and November 2019.
>> The memorial of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray now stands on the site of the former mayor’s bungalow at Shivaji Park.
Work categories
In the cursory tender issued for the project, the BMC has listed 13 categories of work, including:
1 Repair of the wooden mayor’s chair, including replacement of fabric and restoration of the Maharaja-style office chair
2 Repair of heritage wooden sofas, including replacement of fabric and foam and fixing damaged sections
3 Repair or replacement of mattresses and quilts
4 Installation of PVC flooring with a wooden finish
5 Laying of Hitkari red carpeting
6 Polishing and restoration of existing furniture
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