ArmInfo. The program is one of the key components of sustainable development of the capital of Armenia, both in terms of urban development and in terms of preserving historical and cultural values. Serge Varak Sisserian, head of the office of RA Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan, stated this at the first meeting of the working group coordinating the implementation of the "Old Yerevan" project.
As the press service of the government reports, according to him, the project is aimed at stimulating construction processes in Yerevan, preserving the flavor, historical and cultural environment of the central part of the city. An active process of property nationalization is currently underway. Of the approximately 150 properties, 47 are still subject to alienation. Problems associated with these processes are inventoried daily, and active work is underway at the state level to solve them.
Varak Sisserian stressed that since 2018 there has been a positive shift in the nationalization of citizens' real estate, which is due to an increase in the amount of compensation to residents. At this stage, the issue of continuing the alienation process with the participation of state bodies is being discussed, which will contribute to a more efficient process. "It should be noted that in connection with the multi-level nature of the project, a number of problematic issues arise in the course of the work being carried out, in particular those related to land acquisition, building permits, etc. We will discuss, take an inventory of all problems and try to find appropriate solutions to the problems and complete this project, " Varak Sisserian said.
Representatives of various departments participating in the meeting presented the current state of the sale of land plots, design and construction work. Comprehensive information was provided on the list of the main problems associated with the implementation of the project, the next steps of the working group were outlined.
To note, for the implementation of the program, first of all, it is necessary to free the territory from unnecessary buildings. For these purposes, the real estate of citizens is nationalized, who receive appropriate compensation. The "Old Yerevan" project covers about 100 thousand square meters of construction area in the center of Yerevan - from Abovyan street to Koghbatsi street, from Arami street to Byuzand street. According to the project, it is planned to restore the architectural appearance of the Armenian capital of the late 19th - early 20th centuries. It was assumed that the "Old Yerevan" project worth $ 150 million was to be completed in 2010-2011. However, due to some problems, the government entered into an agreement with "Multicontinental distribution" only in 2014. Construction work started only in 2017. Swiss-Armenian businessman Vartan Sirmakes is monitoring activities in project implementation. According to the information circulated in the media, the implementation of the project was delayed due to the failure of the cabinet of former Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan to fulfill its contractual obligations, which, having received the amount stipulated in the contract for the development of the district, subsequently delayed construction for various reasons.