Corniche development: Itani promises 'zero encroachment' Australia News – Australia News

The mayor of Beirut Municipality, Jamal Itani, announced yesterday that the call for tenders for the "Corniche Development Project" would be launched within a month or so, specifying that the municipality was publishing the application decrees relating to the occupation and investment of marine public properties.

The announcement of Itani was made at a meeting convened by the Municipality of Beit Beirut to inform the public of the changes made to the project on the basis of comments made by experts from the civil society and activists concerned with issues of public domain and urban space.

In February, the municipality organized a meeting for the residents and residents of the capital, during which it presented the concepts of the project, which includes the removal of iron barriers between the Corniche and the sea. (from the military bath in Ain al-Mreiseh), widening the sidewalk about seven meters to the interior of the sea and creating a piazza. At a gradual level of Ain Mreisseh (from the level of the highway and ending next to the beach, rocks 100 meters long and 40 meters wide), as well as the planting of 39, about 700 trees along the Corniche.

Although the project has acquired an important dimension in terms of creating an additional space of public space and strengthening the relationship between the city's sea and its inhabitants and the implementation of the "open" idea, the initial designs aroused the objections of a number of experts and concerned, particularly with regard to the filling of the sea and the destruction of the rocks of the historic rock of Ain Mreisseh beach. The project concerns the encroachment of the Cornish, as well as other "priorities" to tackle the sewage problems flowing into the sea, and questions about the feasibility of spending millions of dollars in the current financial crisis.

Itani badured the attendees yesterday that their remarks were taken into account, promising to remove encroachments along the Corniche "by decision of the Prime Minister", which includes the encroachments of the American University of Beirut, the Hotel Riviera, etc. He explained that the city council "took the decision to ask the governor of the city (Judge Ziad Shabib) to take the necessary measures to do so". He stressed that the CDR required the construction of the purification station of Borj Hammoud, whose commissioning will take two years.

Backfilling

During the presentation of the amendments to the project by the consulting engineer Vladimir Djuravik, Itani "supported", trying to "withdraw" all pretexts that would correct the project, emphasizing its importance in terms attention to the public space of the city and the need for this type of projects.

According to Djuravic, the extension of the trail was adjusted from 1.9 meters to 7 meters inside the sea, "so as not to touch the rocks, preserve them and respect the observations made during the first meeting ". However, this amendment "does not eliminate the fact that the principle of filling the sea still exists," according to engineer and activist Nahida Khalil. She explained that "the establishment of the square will have to fill about 66 meters in the sea with a depth of 15 meters". She pointed out that the Supreme Council of Civil Regulation of 18/5/2019 had decided not to approve "backfilling works on the maritime property or the construction of any construction, provided that the decrees of the 39; EIA and completion of court proceedings in accordance with the rules, "and approval only. On the part badociated with "the widening of the wharf and the sea ledge and ensuring the public access to the beach without any embankment nor modification or modification of its characteristics".

A preliminary amount of $ 25 million is available to cover project costs.

Khalil also asked about the project's incomplete EIA. Note that the preparation of the study has been entrusted to the entrepreneur who clearly engages in a conflict of interest, before being badigned to another company. It is interesting to note that the expert responsible for preparing the study of the new company, Khalil Al-Zain, instead of examining the effects on the environment that, thanks to the backfilling, fall back on the importance of public spaces and the creation of a space for bicycles and other "positive aspects" of the project, led to the questioning. The feasibility of his participation, given that the study is not yet complete, and that the impact of the project on the environment has not yet been solved.

$ 1.7 million for preliminary studies

The Municipality of Beirut has not yet announced the final cost of the project for the development of the sea ledge, while the figure of $ 25 million is used on a preliminary basis. At a meeting yesterday, the mayor was questioned more than once about the economic feasibility of paying such an amount given the country's severe economic crisis, but his answer was "decisive": "Beirut is right", adding: "In crisis situations, the solution is to" In the course of investments develop the economic wheel. "We can not stop the completion of projects under the pretext of the situation," emphasizing that the This project would bring Beirut to the map of Arab and European tourism and create an internal tourism movement.

What if the project had high economic and environmental costs? Itani was questioned and he replied, "Then we cancel the project".

It should be noted that the Municipality of Beirut has paid (in accordance with the municipal decision of 11/09/2017) and $ 700,000 (including VAT), as well as $ 60,000 "for optional works, if any". Will this money go to the sewer? Why did executive cards precede economic feasibility studies and the impact on the environment?

Informed sources confirm that the municipality is pursuing the project "at any cost" and is appealing to the Council of Ministers to obtain the decrees and judicial procedures necessary for its implementation.