The skyscraper of "Rakovska"
Even at the beginning of the year, Mediamall.info reported that the owners of “Titan“ Dimitar Borisov (better known by the nickname Garneto) and his partner Ivo Ivanov – Prahovetsa, have an investment intention to raise their skyscraper in the center of Sofia. The two have been owners of a unique plot of land for years – the square between “Rakovska“, “Gurko“, the Ministry of Transport and the National Theatre. Currently there are the famous night club “Beach bar” (former SDF club “The Blue Lion”) and … The Information Center of the Ministry of Defense.
The news passed and went without much attention in the mainstream media and the public. Even the “saviors of Sofia” they were strangely silent. Only the Ministry of Defense came out with a one-time information that there was an error in the sketches, because according to them, part of the Information Center also falls on the Garnetata property.
The bosses of “Titan“ have decided to demolish a terrace, part of the Information Center building, with the argument that it encroaches on their property. In March this year through the company “Crasi– With“ EOOD have notified the Minister of Defense (at that time still Todor Tagarev) in writing that on April 20 they will remove the “illegal structure-podium”. According to sources from the military department, the so-called of them “podium“ it is actually a reinforced concrete terrace, an integral part of the Information Center building. The military reacted to the demolition letter by sending letters to the DNSK and to the chief architect of the Metropolitan Municipality Zdravko Zdravkov, warning that the building is a strategic site of the Ministry of Defense with optical cable lines built for permanent connection with key departments and with our diplomatic missions in foreign countries. countries, with a large part of the communication links being encrypted.
The dispute with the Ministry of Defense is not resolved.
According to the preliminary plans of the Pernik businessmen, their skyscraper will face Rakovski Blvd., and on the other side it will border Gurko Blvd. They recently told the owners of the “Beach bar” that the bar people with the establishment had to vacate the lower part of the garden they occupied, as the Pots intended very soon to move on to the construction of their new huge business building.
„The Pots“ however, they have already fenced off the field and put up a sign saying that there will be “current pavement repair and landscaping activities”, even though heavy construction equipment is located on the field.
„The assistance“ of the former regional governor of Sofia Rosen Vladimirov
The plot of “Sofia's navel“ was purchased by Dimitar Borisov and Ivo Ivanov for only 460 thousand BGN, i.e. as much as a not particularly large and ordinary apartment in the center. Credit for this goes to the former regional governor of Sofia Rosen Vladimirov – erected by the DPS and ruled during the time of Stefan Sofianski as the capital's mayor.
Here is the place to recall that in 2005, Sofia was stuck in garbage for more than a week. Then Rosen Vladimirov, as regional governor, declared the city to be “critical”, and later there was a re-signing of contracts with garbage collection companies, including “Titan“ of Dimitar Borisov and Ivo Ivanov. It is difficult to find evidence of a connection between the two events going back in time, but the facts are the facts.
The name of Rosen Vladimirov also pops up as the main driver for the sale of the Tsar's Stables, which are lying in ruins, as well as the grounds of the garden around the Monument to the Soviet Army. After these scandalous transactions, he withdrew from politics in Bulgaria and has been cashing in his earnings in Switzerland for years.
The property in the square between “Rakovska“, the Ministry of Transport, “Gurko“ and “Ivan Vazov“
The property acquired by the “Titan“ Pots is in plot No. 468, Center, which was expropriated as early as 1941 for the needs of the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and the National Theater.
Exactly in 2005 (when there was also the big garbage crisis in Sofia, as we mentioned above) the regional governor of Sofia, Rosen Vladimirov, sold 1532 square meters in the center of Sofia for BGN 460,000. This is the price of a medium-sized apartment in the area. The sidewalk, the kindergarten, the land under the NATO Information Center at the Ministry of Defense - public state property, the land under the SDS club “Blue Lion” - public municipal property, which is why the site cannot be transformed into a kindergarten and the Metropolitan Municipality is looking for a way to buy back the land. The intention of a kindergarten is unfeasible, as it is not possible to not have a yard according to the requirements of Ordinance No. 1 of 2009 on the terms and conditions for the design and safety of playgrounds).
At the moment, heavy construction equipment is located on the plot and construction activities are being carried out without a Building Permit and a Permit from the National Institute for the Protection of Immovable Cultural Values under the Ministry of Culture (the area is a group cultural monument, which is why consent is required from the National Institute of National Statistics to the Ministry of Culture).
On the fence, with which a large part of the sidewalk is also enclosed, there is a fake information sign - it does not contain information about the duration of the activities, data on the issued Building Permit - mandatory requirements, according to Art. 13 of Ordinance No. 2 of March 22, 2004 on the minimum requirements for health and safety at work during construction and assembly works.
The property is fenced on the basis of a Safety and Health Project. It should be noted that dozens of trees were also cut down, for which no permit was issued either. From 2021, the same investors are seeking a permit to cut down 25 trees on the other property – in the garden of the "Blue Lion" restaurant. Since more than 11 trees are involved, by regulation the felling permit must be approved by the Environmental Protection Commission of the Metropolitan City Council. In February 2023, the commission, dominated by GERB, approved the permit, but public dissatisfaction prompted the then chairman of the municipal council, Georgi Georgiev of GERB, to return the report for a new review with a recommendation to reduce the number of trees.
On July 6, 2023, the Commission considered the request again, this time for 21 trees. In it, it was envisaged that in the square between the streets “Rakovski“, “Gurko“, “Ivan Vazov“ and “Kuzman Shapkarev” to remove 2 spruces, 2 firs, 4 ash sycamores, 5 sycamores, 1 ash, 1 linden, 1 birch and 5 fruit trees. All of them are in predominantly good physiological condition, aged from 15 to 30 years, is the conclusion of the commission.
Currently, the stumps of the felled trees have been removed, it has been leveled and a small artificial stone has been poured on top. No permit has been submitted for felling in the private property in the "Sredets" region, on whose territory the object is located. Regional ecologist Maria Hristova was alerted to the felling by arch. Gabriela Semova and arch. Vesela Toncheva, but on the spot the inspectors did not find any remains of the felled trees and an act was not drawn up.
Due to the lack of legal signs for construction and repair activities, it is currently unclear what exactly the Pots of “Titan“ – whether the dream skyscraper or whether they will implement another project that they could not realize – five-story office building or new establishment.
Source: mediamall.info