Tensions rise in Batumi City Council surrounding Riviera skyscrapers

Batumi City Council meeting turned into a verbal confrontation. The council has approved the regulation plan for “Riviera”, which gives “Silk Road Group” subsidiary “Riviera Batumi” the opportunity to implement a project of building five skyscrapers on the cape of Batumi.

Batumi residents protested the project and urged lawmakers not to support this decision. Despite the great dissatisfaction the City Council approved the “Batumi Riviera Plan” with 17 votes, resolved it positively and construction permits were issued. This caused outrage to citizens and public activists. "Don't terminate the existence of the city," "Party Slaves," "You're a traitor," these are a few among the many phrases that were heard in the hall. One citizen was subsequently taken out of the courtroom by security guards. The protest continued after the session of the Council.

Citizens say they intend to appeal the case to the court. Residents of the city talk about expected risks and compare the project to crime, therefore they declare that the protest will continue in radical forms aiming to hinder the construction process of “Riviera”.

Movement "Protect Batumi",one of the leading organisations objecting the process, has been fighting against the construction of skyscrapers within the “Riviera” for more than a year, holding protests and collecting signatures. They argue that the construction of skyscrapers on the coast will create an environmental hazard.

In general, Opponents of the Batumi Riviera have two principal arguments. Firstly, the area is part of a historic city and therefore is part of the protection zone. The second argument is related to environmental threats. According to a UN-funded study conducted by the state in 2013, "the construction of multi-story houses on the Batumi Cape cannot be withstood by the landslide-induced coastal canal near the confluence of the Cape."

Conversely, the ruling party and the representatives of “Silk Road Group” believe that the project will do good to the city. The Chairman of the City Council has the opinion opposite to the public activists. He thinks “Riviera project is not a threat for Batumi.”Suliko Tebidze argues that the project will bring great economic benefits to the city:

“I supported it, not as the chairman of the City Council, but as an ordinary citizen, because I believe in the project. The investor is going to spend a billion dollars and if it is that dangerous, do you really think that it will waste such a large amount of money? The company has had meetings with the population seven times, and safety findings are also presented. 2000 Batumi residents will be employed by this project and local budget will receive millions,” said Tebidze.

When it comes to the company itself, on August 20, “Silk Road Group” released a public statement regarding the “Batumi Riviera”, underlying the importance and economic benefits of the project to the city, emphasizing to key aspects of it - its implementation being fully in line with state law and studies that did not confirm the potential environmental impact of the project:

“A blend of modern architecture with green facades will help extend the tourist season in Batumi, create additional jobs, be an attraction of high-income tourists and a great benefit to the city... Our company always acts in accordance with the existing legislation. Based on various competent findings, the project approval process has been in full compliance with the law from the very first day,” reads the statement.

“Riviera Batumi LLC”, a subsidiary of “Silk Road Group”plans to build 5 skyscrapers in the first seaside area of Batumi. The tallest one should consist of 56 floors. Two of the five buildings will be hotels, the rest will be designed to include only residential apartments. According to the project, it is planned to set up a yacht club and cut an artificial lagoon onshore, which will connect the area to the sea via the canal. The project investor list also includes Bidzina Ivanishvili (former PM and current head of the ruling party GD) funded “Co-Investment Fund” holding a single percent of the shares.

The main investor of “Riviera Batumi” – “Silk Road Group” is one of the largest and most well-established companies of Georgia, having invested nearly $1 billion in the country over the last decade and currently employing over 5,000 people. It operates across four main sectors: real estate, telecommunications, energy, and transportation.