Panaji: Questioning the idea of building a 12-storey hotel-cum-casino in the heart of the city, corporator Jack Sukhija said that the centrally located building should be converted into a multi-level parking facility to address the traffic and parking crisis.
He said that a casino and a hotel in the core business zone will aggravate the parking problems.
“At least 70% of this building should be for parking,” the corporator said.
Sukhija said that the highest and best use of the site was a parking facility, not a commercial structure driven by revenue considerations. “We should look at what the city wants and not just revenue,” he said.
The state government has decided to hand over the Junta House building to the National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) for redevelopment. The new building will consist of hotels, retail space and offices with three levels of stilt parking.
The government also has plans for a parking facility near Don Bosco High School.
He said elected corporators and citizens should be consulted on all major development proposals for the capital.
Locals said the inventory of hotel rooms in Panaji had risen sharply in recent years, placing mounting pressure on public amenities including parking.
