The Tirana City Council today paved the way for the “rejuvenation of the Palace of Congresses” project by transferring a plot of land to the Albanian Investment Corporation (KISH). The area includes a public garden that risks losing its function as a green space due to the nature of the proposed development.
Similarly, the integrity of the building, a cultural heritage monument, has been put into question for the architectural values it carries.
The decision taken in today's meeting It provides for the transfer of administration of 2261 m² of land from the municipality to the Corporation, which previously also took over the administration of the Palace of Congresses.
The acting chairwoman, Anuela Ristani, emphasized during the Council meeting that the building is the property of the Ministry of Culture, and that it was only a strip of greenery in front, which is "needed for the revitalization project."
"I need all the property under administration," she emphasized, justifying the request from KISH, while opposition councilors opposed the request, stating that the property is being requested to be transferred to private individuals for towers.
"That little strip you're talking about is 2261 m2 "And can you clarify for us whether there will be a tower there?", Ilir Alimehmeti said in his speech.
Ms. Ristani said she was not aware of the projects yet, or whether there will be a demolition or construction of a tower.
"This is in the hands of those who will do the expertise," she stressed.
Interest in redeveloping the area of the Palace of Congresses was expressed in January by the Directorate of Government Services. On April 1, KISH published in the “Upcoming Calls” section, the announcement for the “Reconstruction of the Palace of Congresses.” But this announcement was empty, without any information.
In May, as the "Tirana Moons" project was presented, Prime Minister Edi Rama said that the same formula would be applied to the "Palace of Congresses" as with the national stadium, a statement that implies the private development of high-rise structures.
AIC has previously opened other calls with the same model on state properties such as the Stadium.Selman Stermasi", or "Asllan Sports Palace Russia".
The corporation has proposed to give the municipality another 1,209 m² of land in exchange, but not in the same location. This “exchange” model has been used previously to justify tower projects on public property.
Legally, this transition is supported by the Council of Ministers and the Law on the Investment Corporation. However, the practice has left room for doubt due to the lack of transparency, urban priorities, and public benefits.
In past projects, KISH has used the Public-Private Partnership formula to promote intensive construction on public properties.
The case of the Palace of Congresses raises questions about the urban vision and protection of public spaces in Tirana. In the absence of transparency, citizens risk losing another public space and historic building under the banner of "modernization".
The discussion about this land should have been expanded, with a request for open competition, public documentation, and citizen oversight.
He completed master's studies in Investigative Journalism at the Department of Journalism at the University of Tirana. She has been working as a journalist for five years, where she previously covered issues of politics and parliamentary activity, in print and online media. She is currently a journalist at Citizens.al, where she covers various social issues related to the transparency of institutions. At Citizens.al, she leads the podcast "The Unheard" and is engaged as a manager of projects related to the support of investigative journalism.
