A four-storey multi-level parking complex built with ₹27 crore of Smart Cities Mission public funds to ease chronic parking shortages in the busy Gandhi Bazaar commercial district was, soon after opening, allegedly taken over in large part by a Mercedes-Benz dealership to store brand-new luxury vehicles — squeezing out the public parking it was built to provide. Residents said the diversion pushed ordinary motorists back onto roads, footpaths and outside homes and shops in the neighbourhood.
On record
The official record states: "Not specified — residents demanded that municipal authorities investigate the alleged unauthorized commercial use and cancel the operator's lease if confirmed; no official BBMP explanation was reported at the time."
Filed as "Diverted from public use" and dated to Opened under the Smart Cities Mission (2020s), this entry sits under the "Approx ₹27 crore (Smart Cities Mission funding)" line of the public accounts.
What to expect
- A ribbon-cutting photograph that aged faster than the structure.
- Maintenance records that exist in principle.
- A budget line that grew with the confidence of the project itself.
- A file number that outlived several transfer postings.
Sourcing
1 public source — news reports, RTI replies and civic archives — corroborate this entry. The citation trail is listed below for anyone who would like to follow up with the department concerned.
“The completion certificate is drafted; the completion is not.”— Blunderlust Editorial Desk
Sources
Visitor reviews
“Came here on a dare from the hotel receptionist. The ribbon outlasted the resolve, and you can tell.”
“Went the week it was back in the news again. Honestly, Bengaluru should put it on the official map and own it.”
“Stopped by after spotting it from a friend's balcony. It really does not disappoint.”
