See also a report by the Indian Express in June, 1999.
Between 1914 and 1918, the Bombay Port Trust reclaimed 22 acres of land at Ballard Estate using the material excavated from the Alexandra Docks for filling. George Wittet designed the buildings for this business district. He imposed an uniformity of style and design through the use of European Renaissance facades. Initially the amount of land reclaimed was thought to be much too large for the demands of the times. However, the area filled up by 1923. Even now, Ballard Estate remains a sought-after business address.