MUMBAI, Feb. 25 -- After inviting bidders for a marina and five-star hotel on port land, Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA) officials have now decided build an international convention centre through privatisation, confirming the allegations that MbPA is resorting to piecemeal development of the idle port land instead of undertaking the development in a composite manner that would better serve the needs of a city woefully short of public and open spaces. MbPA is all set to undertake a formal techno-economic feasibility study for the proposed international convention centre, a fact confirmed by M Angamuthu, chairman of MbPA. "We will invite global bids involving reputed firms," he said. An internal MbPA note says that the convention centre will be built on 14.6 hectares of land at the eastern waterfront, along with commercial and hospitality uses either at Sewree (near the Atal Setu) or Prince's Dock. "The aim is to develop a trade fair and convention centre offering facilities of international standards and quality, providing a permanent setup for exhibitions, conferences, conventions and other business activities in Mumbai," the note states. Mumbai already has one international convention centre at Bandra-Kurla Complex. The note says that the centre will position Mumbai as a global MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) hub, with more advanced facilities than the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in Delhi, enabling Mumbai to host major national and international events. This, it claims, will catalyse employment, tourism, investment, and regenerate the eastern port waterfront. The entire development will be in public-private partnership mode. A consultant to prepare a detailed report for the project that is estimated to cost approximately Rs 5,500 crore will be appointed in May 2026. The appointment of the PPP operator is expected to be in Aug 2026 and the completion of the project is slated for 2030. Earlier, the Centre cleared MbPA's plan for a marina near Cross Island and has received bids from five companies, including the Adani Group-owned Cemindia Projects Ltd and Larsen & Toubro. MbPA's marina plan on a PPP basis has been around for two decades but took off only recently. The plan was to have a composite development of the 2,333 acres under MbPA, which both the UPA and NDA governments were keen on. But the present regime in MbPA wanted piecemeal development and floated an expression of interest to develop 33 properties on its land. Planners and architects are critical of the plan. "This MbPA land doesn't exist in isolation," said Suyog Shet, joint secretary of the Practising Engineers, Architects and Town Planners Association....