The Mayor of Sofia Vasil Terziev proposes that the Sofia Municipal Council (SOC) approve an agreement between the Sofia Municipality and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS). The aim is to put an end to the dispute over the terrain on which the "Kukuryak" park should be built in the "Ovcha Kupel" area through an out-of-court settlement of the issue. The proposal was submitted with a joint report together with the Chairman of the SOC Tsvetomir Petrov, the Deputy Mayor for Construction Nikola Lyutov and the Mayor of the "Ovcha Kupel" area Angel Stefanov.
The agreement, legally called an “settlement“, provides for a final settlement of property issues through mutual concessions and a gratuitous transfer of properties between the two parties – providing two municipal plots of land to the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, recognizing in favor of the Sofia Municipality the ownership of land properties and transferring six buildings located within the scope of the future park.
“This is one of the first topics we tackled at the beginning of the mandate. Back then, few believed that after nearly 16 years of blockage, there could be a resolution.” - said the mayor of Sofia Vasil Terziev.
The plot of nearly 89 decares in “Ovcha Kupel“ has been planned for a park in the General Development Plan of Sofia. In 2023, the Sofia Municipal Council approved the detailed development plan for its implementation, but part of the property was challenged in court by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, which blocked the start of the project.
After a series of meetings and negotiations at the expert level over the past year, a draft agreement has been prepared, which is to be considered by the Sofia Municipal Council and the General Assembly of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
The proposal:
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences will be recognized as the owner of a separate part of the terrain with an area of 6,787 sq. m, intended for an astronomical complex – educational and cultural center.
The Sofia Municipality will be recognized as the owner of the remaining part of the property – 82,009 sq. m, intended for the construction of a park and street infrastructure.
The Academy will transfer the buildings falling within the area of the future park to the municipality free of charge.
In exchange, the Sofia Municipality will provide the BAS with two municipal properties in the immediate vicinity, suitable for the development of scientific, educational activities and residential needs.
Independent market assessments have been prepared, which confirm the balance of the agreed distribution of the properties.
The agreement also provides for the Sofia Municipality to gradually build street infrastructure in the period 2027-2029, which will improve the area and provide access to both the future park and the BAS properties.
With the signing of the agreement, the BAS will withdraw its legal challenge, which will allow the zoning decisions to enter into force and the start of the actual activities for the construction of the „Kukuryak“ park.
The location of the future park is strategic for the development of the green system in the area, as it will connect a series of neighborhood public spaces – from the area around the mineral spring and bath „Ovcha Kupel“, through the „Kukuryak“ park, to the linear green connection to „President Lincoln“ blvd. and „Boycho Boychev“ ul.
The case of the „Kukuryak“ park in „Ovcha Kupel“ has been going on for almost 16 years. As early as 2009, civic organizations submitted a proposal to the Sofia Municipality for the creation of a city park on municipal and state land.
After years of discussions and administrative procedures, in June 2023, the Sofia Municipal Council approved the draft detailed development plan. Legal procedures for land between the municipality and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences followed.
The upcoming agreement allows the long-awaited park to finally move from plan to implementation.