News & Events in Belarus

Lukashenko: Only pinpoint housing construction in Minsk

25.03.2011 20:03:19 Фомич АА

MINSK, 25 March (BelTA) - The focus of housing construction efforts should be relocated to regions in order to avoid overpopulation in Minsk, the press service of the Belarusian head of state quoted President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko as saying on 25 March as he visited Minsk City Hall and got familiar with prospects of the city’s real estate development till 2015.

Minsk Mayor Nikolai Ladutko informed Alexander Lukashenko that the growing demand for homes, the increasing number of automobiles require rethinking the city’s development strategy for the next 10-15 years. Minsk City Hall has ascertained borders and the location of the territories, which are open to real estate development. First of all, it is necessary to think about the ineffectively used territories close to the city’s border, to think about completing the development of existing residential districts, to think about the construction of multi-storied residential homes in areas where one-storied decrepit cottages are supposed to be demolished, and to think about building Minsk’s satellite towns.

Thus Minsk City Hall suggests using the premises of a former firing range on the eastern side of the city. The new residential district Zeleny Bor is supposed to evolve into a major town-planning formation with over 150,000 residents. The construction of engineering and transport infrastructure will begin in 2012. The construction of residential housing will begin in 2013.

A new housing estate Shchemyslitsa will be built on the southwestern side of the city. It will consist of ten residential districts and three street blocks, which are adjacent to the Minsk-Brest motorway. The housing estate will be home to 54,000 people. The construction is supposed to begin in 2012. There are plans to erect a public center of international importance at an entrance to Minsk. It will include an expo complex, a business center, and a 30-40-storied hotel. Minsk authorities believe that the public center will embellish the area as well as a new avenue of the city.

Nikolai Ladutko remarked that the emergence of the new residential districts will allow reducing the housing construction volume in Minsk down to 800,000 square meters per annum.

Alexander Lukashenko reminded that Minsk should not be overpopulated. According to the President, the number of Minsk residents should not exceed 1.8 million people. Otherwise, Minsk will not be a nice place to live.

Everything should match interests of the city and interests of the people that live here, stressed the President. “One should bear in mind that at most 1.8 million people can live in Minsk. No more. It is already difficult to travel around Minsk today. Tomorrow we may face traffic problems and congestion,” said Alexander Lukashenko.

“The government should relocate the focus of housing construction to the regions. Everywhere else in the world workforce travels towards jobs instead of doing contrariwise. We should distribute the workforce and send people there,” said the head of state.

“No need to gather the entire nation in Minsk,” stressed the President. He believes Minsk needs only pinpoint real estate development. Minsk Mayor Nikolai Ladutko informed the head of state that over the last ten years Minsk has welcomed around 170,000 newcomers. About 2.2-2.3 million people, including students, permanently live in the city.

The problem of the list of people in need of better housing in Minsk was touched upon. Speaking about the number of people registered as those in need of better housing, the official said that in 2010 the number grew by about 20,000 people. In 2006-2011 the number increased by about 130,000 people. This year conditions of getting into the list of people in need of better housing have been restricted. Only people who have lived in Minsk for the last five years can be entered into the list.

At present around 280,000 people are registered as those in need of better housing. Around 60,000 of them have no homes of their own. Minsk authorities believe that it would be advisable to restrict criteria used to put citizens on the housing register.

Alexander Lukashenko gave an instruction to revise the procedure used to form the housing register. In particular, the head of state believes that it is unfair that the list of people in need of better housing includes those without homes of their own and those who are slightly below the standard of 15 square meters per person.

“A radical solution is needed. It is not up to the government to decide. These matters should be promptly handed over to the Minsk City Executive Committee so that it could use its own budget and plans to determine how many square meters per person there should be,” said the head of state. “I think we may have been hasty to allocate 15 square meters per person but it is unfair when the housing register lists a person, who has nothing and has been waiting for seven years, and a person, who has 14, 13 or 10 square meters per person. There is indeed a difference,” said the President.

Alexander Lukashenko ordered to have the matter discussed with the government. “We need to decide on the housing register otherwise the list of people in need of better housing in Minsk will never end,” said the President. He reminded that the demand for housing is sky high in Minsk only. The problem has been fixed in regional capitals.

The President was made familiar with the project to develop the satellite town Smolevichi. There are plans to build three, five and seven-storied residential buildings there for a total of 28,000-30,000 Minsk residents. The housing area will make 870,000 square meters. The construction is supposed to begin in July 2011. The head of state pointed out that it is necessary to create jobs there along with homes.

The President examined the progress in developing Pobeditelei Avenue, the residential district Lebyazhy, and the project to build a national historical and archeological center (Minsk citadel), which is supposed to rise at the beginning of Pobeditelei Avenue.

The head of state was also made familiar with the project to create the park Belarus. It will be located within confines of Orlovskaya Street and Pobeditelei Avenue. Its attraction Mini Belarus will feature six areas (one for every oblast of the country) with models of easily recognizable landmarks.

The President was also informed about preparations of the city for the 2014 World Ice Hockey Championship. The construction of an entertainment and sports facility in the residential district Chizhovka will end in summer 2013. In addition, nine traffic interchanges will be built in the city.

Alexander Lukashenko also examined the progress in implementing individual investment projects, in particular, the construction of a new clinic in the Severny district, an experimental school and some others.

Speaking about the construction of the multifunctional complex Minsk City, the President said he was dissatisfied with the progress.

The President stressed that the agreement they had reached with investors earlier must be fulfilled.

In addition, Alexander Lukashenko raised the matter of revising real estate development plans. “People should strive to be in Minsk City. But who will be willing to settle down among armored concrete? The blocks should be accurate and beautiful so that it would be comfortable for people to live there,” said the head of state.

The investment project envisages using 318 hectares of Minsk’s territory to build a public business center. The latter will include administrative and business buildings, financial and diplomatic ones, residential blocks, social, engineering and transport infrastructure. The project is supposed to include nine phases to be completed by 2020. At present the first phase is in progress. It includes the preparation of the area for development, housing construction with the total area of over 230,000 square meters, the construction of office premises and shops as well as 1,510 parking spaces.

Alexander Lukashenko backed the proposal of Minsk City Hall to rebuild the Dynamo stadium. The President believes the stadium should be preserved and considerably remodeled. It will allow not building a new stadium for a while, saving a lot of money.

In conclusion Alexander Lukashenko reminded that it is necessary to promote satellite towns of Minsk and set up jobs there. He also reminded that it is necessary to put in order all inhabited localities of the country even before the nationwide subbotnik. It is also necessary to engage the population in the accomplishment of internal yards.

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