Tbilisi Central Park to be built on hippodrome territory with Cartu funding
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Wednesday, October 7
Bidzina Ivanishvili and the Cartu Foundation will hand over the territory of the hippodrome to Tbilisi, where the central park will be built. The information was first spread by Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze at a briefing. The next day the project was presented to the public.
According to Kaladze, a modern park will be built, which will be one of the largest and most important projects for the city. Park will be adapted for people of all generations: According to the Mayor, there will be a space in the park especially for children, young people, elderly people, everyone, where people can come, relax, unwind, play sports, etc.
A construction company has already been selected to carry out the works. The work will start directly in the next few days.
As the mayor informed, Bidzina Ivanishvili and the Cartu Foundation will gift the territory of the former hippodrome to the municipality completely free of charge, where the Tbilisi Central Park project will be implemented with the financial support of Cartu, which will cost several tens of millions. The 36-hectare area was bought by Cartu from private owners and given as a gift to the Tbilisi Municipality.
As city hall reports, the project that was presented to the public is the work of a Dutch company. According to Nikoloz Chkhetiani, Chairman of the Board of the Cartu Foundation, the cost of its execution is expected to range between $15-20 million - the sum that will be covered by the Cartu Foundation as well. It will take 2 years to implement the project.
“Cartu Foundation has spent more than $ 3 billion on charitable projects over the past 25 years,” said Chkhetiani. According to him, Cartu projects cover almost all areas, but special attention is paid to environmental protection.
Asked why the presentation of the project coincided with the elections, as non-governmental organizations had earlier called on the Tbilisi City Hall to arrange a green space on the territory of the former hippodrome, Kaladze said that the area was private and the City Hall could not do anything.
Mayor called the accusations absurd, noting that under the previous government, this particular hippodrome area was alienated to private individuals, the identity of which is easy to find. “Then, for 52 million, if I am not mistaken, Bidzina Ivanishvili redeemed it, because this area was supposedly aimed at implementing the building and development project,” he announced.
He also responded to the opposition, who assessed the gifting the hippodrome territory to the city as voter bribery.
“There is no bribery of any voter, there is no illegal action,” Kaladze said.
