“We have rented out a plot of land underground for the first time”
In an interview with local media, the mayor of Bishkek, Aibek Junushaliev, discussed the underground shopping center project and the three-story building being constructed on Chuy Avenue near the Central Department Store (TsUM), as well as the scandal surrounding it.
According to Junushaliev, this project is unique for the capital: “We have rented out a plot of land underground for the first time, which was auctioned with an annual cost of 7 million soms. The total cost of the project is approximately 2 billion soms. Implementing such projects is not an easy task. I expect the work to be completed within three months,” noted the mayor.
Additionally, he clarified that the construction, located opposite the clock tower, is not on municipal land, which has led to insufficient attention being paid to the construction of the third floor. However, in light of public criticism, old sketches were raised for comparison with the current work.
It is worth noting that the building being erected is on the site where flower alleys and kiosks used to be located. The “Old Bishkek” project has received mixed reviews, as its implementation differs from the initially presented ideas of the city hall and builders. The chairman of the State National Security Committee, Kamchybek Tashiev, has taken control of the situation and ordered the demolition of the third floor of the building.
The original plan was to construct an underground passage on the southeast side of TsUM to reduce traffic jams on Chuy Avenue caused by pedestrians. Later, information emerged about the construction of an underground shopping complex, and then above-ground structures.
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