Residents of the old Kala neighborhood in Durrës today moved their protest against the urban revitalization project of their area from local authorities to the offices of the Albanian-American Development Foundation (AADF) in Tirana, which is the developer of the project.
Over 70 families have been asked to be expropriated to make way for the Transformative Integrated Investments model, known by the acronym TID. But they disagree with the valuation of their properties and claim the project destroys the historic area.
The group of residents whose houses are over 100 years old are to be compensated with outdated reference prices. According to a government decision, published in the Official Gazette, the reference price of their properties is from 2015.
The project "Restoration and urban requalification of the TID perspective area", funded by the government, the Municipality of Durrës and AADF, foresees the demolition of part of the old neighborhood to make way for "tourist revitalization".
The residents have sued the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Durrës in the Administrative Court, demanding the suspension of the project. In parallel, they said they have filed a complaint with SPAK, which includes three design studios, the municipality and the AADF.
"We have demanded accountability from every institution, but AADF has become part of this corrupt project by financing it without checking what happens on the ground," claimed Entela Spahivogli, a resident of the area.
In addition to the low ratings, residents also oppose the destruction of cultural heritage.
"Tourists come for the old houses, not for the squares. Durrës had greenery, but they concreted it. Now houses have to be demolished, people have to be removed, they have to be put out on the streets," continued Rita Kazazi, another resident.
According to Fatmir Zotaj, another resident, the project's figures are disproportionate, raising suspicions of abuse of funds.
"$3.1 million has been earmarked for compensation for 74 families, while $6.7 million has been earmarked for painting the facades alone. This is a blatant injustice," he told Citizens.al.
In a comment to Citizens.al, the foundation explained that AADF's contribution to the Durrës Amphitheater project “represents a donation to the city and the local community”, as part of the commitment to preserving and promoting cultural heritage.
“AADF has no role or responsibility in relation to expropriation procedures, determination of compensation value for properties, or any other process related to the issue of properties in the project area” quoted in the response to Citizens.al.
AADF concluded that these issues are the exclusive competence of the central and local institutions of the Albanian state.
Meanwhile, the State Agency for Expropriations (ASHSH) also clarified to Citizens.al that its role is only as an implementer of legal procedures, while the responsibility for the project and the area lies with the municipality and the government.
What is known so far?
The decision on the expropriations was published in the Official Gazette. on August 26, 2025, with a total fund of around 315.5 million lek (3.2 million euros) – much lower than what the Municipality initially requested (4.8 million euros).
The project is part of the plan TID, approved in 2021, linked to the post-2019 earthquake initiative for urban reconstruction and development.
The AADF and the Ministry of Culture had foreseen the expropriations in plan 2021-2028, but the process has dragged on and is being implemented without public clarity.
The property valuation is based on the VKMs of 2000 and 2015, which do not reflect the current market reality, significantly reducing the compensation for the residents of Kalasa.
In previous reports, Citizens.al brought the cases of several residents whose homes were valued by public authorities at 60-100 thousand euros, while private property appraisers estimated their market value to be at least twice as high.
Read also:
- Durrës residents oppose expropriations for the TID project
- Durrës, 32 families in former beach cabins risk being left homeless
He completed his master's studies in the department of Journalism and Communication Sciences at the University of Tirana. She has been reporting for more than four years in Citizens.al on issues of culture, urban development, feminism, etc. She is also a contributor to other local and foreign online media, and has worked in the editing of various materials. She is the author of the podcast "Pezull" on Citizens.al and is engaged as a coordinator of projects related to the empowerment of young journalists and migration issues.
