Another hotel will be erected in place of Grand Mir Hotel in Yakkasaray district of Tashkent, the press service of the Tahskent mayor's office said. Since the building is privately owned, the owner has the right to treat his property within laws, the press service added. The city administration did not provide any other details.
Earlier at the end of June, information surfaced on social networks about demolition of hotel and the construction of three high-rise buildings in its place, including a 30-story business center and a shopping mall. Social network users named Koç Construction as the general contractor for the project, citing unofficial information. In mid-July, blogger Nikita Makarenko, citing personnel of the Grand Mir Hotel, reported that from September the hotel, consisting of two blocks, 9 floors and 126 rooms, will be closed for demolition.
The architectural concept was developed by the Design Factory company, which, along with Koç Construction, is a wing of Sarıkoç holding. Design Factory executive Shavkat Abdullaev confirmed that the demolition will commence in September and will be completed by the end of the year.
On August 20, residents of Bogsaroy neighborhood, where the hotel is located, sent a joint appeal and a petition to government bodies to prevent the construction of the complex, the project of which was previously published on social networks. The appeal was signed by 2,727 people. Copies were sent to the People's Reception Office of the President, the Cabinet of Ministers, the Prosecutor General's Office, the Ministry of Construction, the Tashkent Khokimiyat and the city council.
In the appeal, the city residents stated that the project violated urban planning, sanitary and seismic standards, and also contradicts the provisions of the Tashkent’s Master Plan 2045. The appeal noted that in response to a request from lawyer Sabina Sidakova, the design institute "ToshkentboshplanLITI" reported that the site where the hotel is located is in the reconstruction zone. While, a detailed plan for it was not developed. According to the approved general plan, construction on this territory is allowed no higher than five floors.
Seismic safety is no less of a concern for residents. Building a three thirty-story complex, which belong to the IV category of seismic hazard, in densely populated areas is illegal. Such projects violate the provisions of the Urban Development Code and create a direct threat to residents in the event of an earthquake, the petition says.
The appeal noted that the project is "being implemented" without public hearings, "which is a gross violation of the established procedure." Residents are demanding that open hearings be held and that the project be published in accessible sources so that the public can become familiar with the developer’s obligations and assess the risks.
