Properties will be expropriated from five owners in Tbilisi to make way for the planned construction of the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center, after Georgian Dream Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili signed a relevant decree citing failed negotiations to secure voluntary sales.
According to the decree, dated April 3, the project “is considered an essential public need.” It states that “since no agreement was reached between the company and the property owners on the voluntary acquisition of the property, there is a need to deprive ownership rights through expropriation.”
The construction of the center, funded by Azerbaijan and Georgia, was initially planned on land plots at 25 Gorgasali Street, near the Azerbaijani Embassy, where the foundation for the new building was laid in 2023. However, according to the decree, “during the building design stage,” it was found that an expansion was necessary.
The expansion, the decree notes, is set to claim an apartment complex of “Italian courtyard” style – a residential settlement organized around a shared courtyard, characteristic of older Tbilisi neighborhoods. According to the decree, agreements were reached with 13 owners in the complex who sold their apartment-type properties voluntarily, while the remaining five, who refused voluntary transfer, will face expropriation.
The decree states that the project envisions the construction of the center on a 5,380-square-meter site, including a large building with a 780-square-meter public space. The complex will include a children’s theater, a concert hall, and other spaces designed for cultural events.
“The center should be established as a multifunctional educational platform where cultural and academic programs will be implemented,” the decree reads. “This will promote the exchange of knowledge, the development of young people, and the further strengthening of regional cooperation.”
It adds that the center “will create additional opportunities for the development of cultural tourism” and serve as a venue for international events, exhibitions, and festivals, which “will have a positive impact on the country’s economic activity and contribute to improving the investment environment.”
The project is funded by the Azerbaijani government, while the Georgian side contributes through land acquisition, including purchasing and transferring specific plots into state ownership.
The decree was published on April 7, a day after Ilham Aliyev’s April 6 visit to Tbilisi, where the Azerbaijani leader held meetings with the Georgian Dream officials, including GD-elected President Mikheil Kavelashvili and GD Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, as well as with the ruling party founder and currently its Honorary Chairman, Bidzina Ivanishvili.
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