Varak Sisserian: "Old Yerevan" project is one of the key components  of sustainable development of the Armenia`s capital  

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.