Adjara Government: Batumi Boulevard historical appearance will not be changed
By Tea Mariamidze
Tuesday, January 26
All three lanes will be kept on Batumi Boulevard; the Adjaran government took the public’s opinion into consideration and decided not to change the historical look of the Boulevard.
It should be mentioned that the new Batumi Concept was not approved by either various Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) or Batumi residents. A number of protests were held by the public, who were against the reduction of the three alleys into two and the proposals of new infrastructural development, which envisaged the building of new cafes, fountains and a recreational area.
Persistent rallies and a social campaign brought positive results, and the government of Adjara decided to involve public sector into the process.
According to the Chair of Adjara Government, Archil Khabadze, talks are being held with the construction company and the Boulevard administration about keeping all three alleys.
“The government is ready to meet the demands of the Boulevard supporters and keep all three lanes. I will need more time because we are holding talks with the construction company and the Boulevard administration in order to carry out the process legally,” he stated.
However, the NGOs and some protesters do not trust the government’s promise.
A member of the initiative group, Davit Topuridze, does not believe that the issue will be truly solved.
“The government’s promises are one thing; whether they will keep them is something else. I do not think the issue has been solved so easily,” Topuridze said.
Members of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) NGO say that the disclosure of the decision is not enough and the legal side should be arranged first. They have prepared a lawsuit and are going to appeal in court.
“We are going to continue our work in a legal direction unless the agreement is signed within the legal format,” the head of the GYLA branch, GiorgiKhimshiashvili, stated.
According to the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, works on the Boulevard Development Concept are taking place for the first time in history. The author of the concept is Dreamland Oasis, a local development firm.
The Batumi Boulevard concept is due to be completed by May 2016.
