Andriyivsky public expert council to work on July 1, Kyiv citizens oppose demolition of buildings

Kyiv, May 28 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The public expert council on the development of the territory of the former Yunost factory near the capital's Andriyivsky Uzviz is to start working on July 1, and the majority of Kyiv citizens polled are opposed to the restoration of the fronts of the buildings or the building of a cultural complex on the site.

As ESTA Holding Director General Mykola Nesterenko said at a press conference hosted by Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday, the company is not planning major actions for the project's implementation until the creation of the public expert council.

"We won't take any significant measures aimed at the development of the concept of the future project on the creation of the cultural space until the forming of the public council," he said.

The director did not give the level of investment in the future project, as it hasn't been elaborated yet, and affirmed that the company is holding talks with the Kyiv authorities to provide the holding a second land plot instead of the plot on the territory of Yunost factory.

The membership of the council is still being forming: nine, or at the most 11 members will be in each of its chambers: public and expert.

"The sittings of both chambers of the council, at least, as I imagine it now, will be held online," said the coordinator of the public expert council, Yulia Filonenko.

The voting for the candidates to the council will be held from June 1 to June 20. Additional information on the details of the voting and the general situation of the project is placed on the Web site www.junost.org.ua. A video linkup from the Andriyivsky Uzviz area is foreseen.

Moreover, according to Nesterenko, ESTA Holding, along with promising to promote the restoration of Andriyivsky Uzviz, decided to reconstruct its pedestrian and transport infrastructure.

"The projects are to be improved, but they will concern, first of all, the stairs to Zamkova Hill and the stairs between Peizazhna (Landscape) Alley and Andriyivsky Uzviz, which are to be repaired," Nesterenko said.

The press conference also featured a presentation of the results of a GfK Ukraine Company study conducted together with ESTA Holding entitled "Estimation of the reaction of the Kyiv citizens to the reconstruction and demolition of the buildings at Andriyivsky Uzviz", according to which 70% of Kyiv citizens oppose the demolition of the buildings at the uzviz, with 15% greatly opposed. A total of 1,277 Kyiv citizens aged 18 and over were polled.

"The poll of the citizens showed that the opposition of the public to the reconstruction and demolition of the buildings at Andriyivsky Uzviz in the first place, was aroused because Kyiv citizens like Andriyivsky Uzviz as it looks, and want it to retain its cultural and social importance (72%), demolition was the least attractive option for the buildings in the street's historical part (8%), and the Uzviz is an integral part, or "business card" of the city, the study reported.

The respondents that consider that the city was seized by "Donetsk authorities", who are indifferent to Kyiv's history," totaled 6% of those with a negative attitude to the demolition of the buildings at Andriyivsky Uzviz. Just 17% know that SCM and ESTA Holding of Rinat Akhmetov are engaged in the project.

"More often people gave the following preferences for the use of the plot: restore the fronts of the building and create a green zone (66%), and the building of a low-rise building complex with various functions of cultural and social purpose (47%), the study reported.

As reported, at the beginning of April ESTA Holding said it had decided not to build a trade office center on the plot between Frolovska Street and Andriyivsky Uzviz, the design of which will be agreed with the city and the public. Moreover, the company reported its intention to restore the fronts of the demolished buildings in its historical type along 9-11 Frolovska Street near Andriyivsky Uzviz.

Later ESTA Holding proposed to create a public expert council to participate in the elaboration of the design concept of the cultural center at Andriyivsky Uzviz in Kyiv, which will be coordinated by Yulia Filonenko.

ESTA Holding is the managing company for Esta Group, a real estate holding of SCM Group. ESTA Holding acts as an investor and developer as well as strategically managing commercial, hotel, and residential real estate.

SCM is a professional investor that owns and controls assets in mining and metals, power generation and distribution, telecommunications, banking, insurance, media as well as in retail and real estate.

SCM is 100% owned by Ukrainian businessman and MP Rinat Akhmetov.