"Save Sofia" presented a proposal that the municipal terrain, on which the "Mladost" district requested a 22-story building, be reserved for a park and public use.
The party stated that it will continue to protect municipal property and the need for more green spaces in the area. “The Sofia Municipality has all the legal instruments to stop the project and protect the public interest”, said Andrey Zografski, municipal councilor from "Save Sofia" and deputy chairman of the Sofia Municipal Council. "Save Sofia" also announced support for the new civil protest against the project, which they defined as “22 floors of corruption”, which will be held on May 27 - the day before the meeting of the Sofia Municipal Council. “We will be there because this protest fully coincides with our vision for the development of Sofia - a city in which the good life, not good profit, is the leading value”, said Andrey Zografski.
According to him, the region has been voting for political forces for years that promise to fight against overdevelopment, therefore “The Sofia Municipality” should not be an accomplice in yet another concrete project. ”The Sofia Municipality is not a brokerage firm. It should take care of the quality of life of Sofia residents before seeking maximum economic benefit”, he said and recalled that the citizens of “Mladost” have clearly stated their disagreement with the project: “Mladost” came out to protest against these 22 floors of corruption, proposed by the district mayor and the majority in the municipal council. People are categorical - they do not want more construction in the center of the most overdeveloped quarter“.
“In recent days, we have repeatedly heard the claim that nothing can be done because this was an inherited Detailed Development Plan. This is not true. The law gives the mayor the authority to ex officio assign an amendment to the Detailed Development Plan and that is why we are submitting a report assigning this to him“, said arch. Rositsa Nikolova, deputy chairwoman of the Commission on Architecture and Urban Planning at the Municipal Council.
From "Save Sofia" cited as an example the double standard in the actions of the administration and recalled the case of the 215-meter building next to Paradise Center, for which in July 2025 Mayor Vasil Terziev issued an order for an official amendment to the Urban Development Plan.
„The question is whether the official Detailed Development Plan is an instrument for real protection of the urban development of Sofia, or will it be used only in convenient political situations. If it can be done for a 215-meter skyscraper next to Paradise, it should be possible for Mladost as well“, said Arch. Nikolova. According to her, the case is not only architectural, but is also directly related to the protection of municipal property, since the Sofia Municipality owns over 92% of the terrain. „The municipality has not just the right, but an obligation to assess what is the best use of this terrain for the citizens of Sofia. This is not a standard private property, but the property of all Sofia residents“, she emphasized.
The municipal councilors from “Save Sofia” also raised questions about the lack of an up-to-date transport and communication analysis and economic assessment for the project. “There is no publicly presented analysis after 2022 that would answer how such a development will affect traffic, parking and the quality of life in the area. At the same time, the adopted report contains exactly 14 words about public functions and 14 pages protecting the interests of private investors“, recalled Arch. Nikolova.