© Georgi Kozhuharov
The land intended for a hotel next to the “Paradise” mall, to the right of Heinrich Ibsen Blvd.
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A new dense development is being prepared next to the Paradise mall in Sofia – the plans are for two connected 50-meter buildings for a hotel. They will be about 20 m higher than the shopping center and will be built on the terrain between Henrich Ibsen, Todor Kableshkov and Emilian Stanev boulevards, and almost the entire area of 3.3 decares will be built on. The project is about to be issued a new design visa.
The area around the shopping center has been among the places in the capital with the most intensive development in recent years, with new residential and office buildings currently under construction there, and for years there has been a project for another skyscraper again right next to Paradise. The area is also characterized by serious traffic jams, especially on weekends, due to traffic to and from the mall, despite the metro station and the extension of Filip Kutev Blvd., which was opened last year.
Therefore, the intentions for a new construction cause reactions from the residents of the neighborhood, and from the mayor of the “Triaditsa” district, Dimitar Bozhilov, what will be the effects on the traffic. The project also raises the topic of exactly what transport analysis needs to be prepared for the impact of any future building.
The designer: We planned to reduce the building ratio
The detailed development plan (DDP) of the site where the construction is planned allows for ultra-high building density. For Sofia, the average factor for building intensity (the so-called KINT) is from 1 to 3.5, it is the same in this area, but right here it is almost five times higher – 15. This means that on a plot of land with an area of 1000 sq.m., a building with 15 times larger built-up area can be erected – 15,000 sq.m.
However, the designer of the future building says that they planned to reduce this coefficient.
“We will not use this high KINT and we want a change in the current plan – to reduce it by half and make it around 8. We are allowed to build 26-27 floors and 50,000 square meters of built-up area on this land, but there will be 15 floors and about 30,000 square meters, which is a 40% reduction,” said the architect architect. Angel Zahariev for “Dnevnik”.
For this reason, the investor has requested the issuance of a new design visa from the municipal Department of Architecture and Urban Planning (NAG). The goal is to limit other investors from building higher than 50 meters in this district, explained arch. Zahariev.
He explained that the project is for a hotel with serviced apartments (which are given for long-term rent, most often to foreigners, also called an aparthotel – b.a.).
The investor in the project is Sava Choroleev, who owns holiday hotels, mainly on the sea, and a few years ago also acquired the “Grand Hotel Plovdiv”. He explained to “Dnevnik” that “the property is earmarked for development.”
© Georgi Kozhuharov
The land with an area of 3.5 decares is owned by “Prime Property BG” AD, represented by Sava Choroleev.
“We bought it for this purpose several years ago at a public sale. We are currently studying the region, what it has, what is missing, what can be profitable for the investor. Are we with leading architects, architect Zahariev is one of them, yes offer conceptual visions of what we could realize. We want to make a nice building that is distinctive, not something standard. But the economic indicators are also important,” commented Choroleev, who did not commit to details about deadlines.
The land with an area of 3.5 decares is owned by “Prime Property BG” AD, represented by Sava Choroleev.
For “Dnevnik”, the chief architect of Sofia Zdravko Zdravkov said that he forwarded the documentation for this project for approval in the “Triaditsa” district.
“Triaditsa” district is against construction
Citizens from Strelbishte quarter, gh. “Gotse Delchev” and “Manastirski livadi-iztok” quarter complain on social networks that the future building will lead to traffic jams at the intersection of “Henrich Ibsen” Blvd. and “Koziak” Street. They also sent signals to the “Triaditsa” district with a specific request “to preserve the communication status of Henrich Ibsen Blvd.”
On the occasion of the requested opinion from Arch. Zdravkov district “Triaditsa” expresses its categorical position that it does not support and objects to the issuance of a visa for the design of mixed-use buildings next to the “Paradise” mall.
“Illegality has been established in the application of Article 27, Paragraph 3 of the Law on Territorial Planning, leading to unjustified redevelopment, as well as a lack of transport and communication analysis of the impact of the proposed investment proposal in the neighborhood. The region does not support and the idea “bul. “Heinrich Ibsen” to get the status of a dead end (street without an exit – b.a.) with the newly designed building, in connection with which there have also been comments from residents of the area, expressing concerns about the difficult transport service in the now busy section. indicates from the “Triaditsa” region.
The future hotel plans to have 250 parking spaces, and the approach for cars will be from “Henrich Ibsen” Blvd., explained the architect. Zahariev. According to the Triaditsa regional administration, even Todor Kableshkov Blvd (which is being built with four lanes) would not be able to handle the traffic if the new hotel is built.
“According to our data, if this project is implemented, along with the cars from the Paradise Mall and the future skyscraper next to Bila, it will be as if Todor Kableshkov Blvd. is gone,” fears the mayor of the Triaditsa district, Dimitar Bozhilov .
He’s referring to another 6.7-acre site that’s on the south side of the mall — there’s a parking lot on the site — that’s also allowed for ultra-dense development. The initial intentions were for the construction of a 215-meter skyscraper – “Paradise Tower”. Sketches were prepared by arch. Maya Yovcheva from the “ProArch” studio, which belongs to the former (until 2016) chief architect of Sofia Petar Dikov.
The owner of the field is “Magna MK” OOD, related to David Mihailovich Koblianidze, the first owner of the “Paradise” mall. His company sold the 6.7-acre plot of land to the current owner in 2011, an inspection by “Dnevnik” showed. Because of this connection, the investment company calls the future skyscraper “Paradise Tower”.
Between Sava Choroleev and David Mihailovich Koblianidze there is a connection through the company “Vitatur invest” EAD, whose subject of activity is transactions with real estate and construction of buildings. Choroleev represented this company until June 2014. In August 2016, this position in the company was taken over by Koblianidze, a check by “Dnevnik” in the Trade Register showed.
How the Municipal Council “raises” skyscrapers
According to the General Development Plan of Sofia, the area around the mall is for mixed multifunctional construction – up to 26 m high to the cornice and an intensity factor of 3.5. But especially for the plot of “Magna MK” next to the “Paradise” mall, an amendment to the regulation and development plan was voted by the Metropolitan Municipal Council in 2017. With it, super-tall construction was allowed.
Then two municipal councilors – Ivo Bozhkov (Reformist Bloc, later “Democratic Bulgaria”) and Voyslav Todorov (Serdika coalition, now part of “Stand Up Bulgaria” and in the BSP group) are against it, since a future skyscraper there will hide the view of Vitosha. Orlin Alexiev, municipal councilor from GERB, opposes them. “This is not about some “Godzilla” that will hide all of Vitosha. I don’t think we should stop investors when the project is legal,” he said in 2017. at the SOS session, quoted by “The City”.
So far, there are no signs of movement for the construction of the skyscraper, explained arch. Zdravkov days ago. A building permit has not yet been issued. “ProArch” has not been involved with this site for a long time. The investor has found a design bureau from Western Europe,” said arch. Peter Dikov.
© Georgi Kozhuharov
The parking lot south of the mall where a skyscraper over 200 meters high can be built.
Transportation analysis is a gateway into the field
The dense development around the mall, an area better known until recently as “The Fridge”, is also possible for another reason.
For changes in the regulation and development plan, a transport analysis is required for the impact of the future building, but only on it.
Thus, the conclusions of the analysis usually do not turn out to be dramatic. “A general transport analysis should be prepared, summarizing the impact of all the buildings built around and of the future ones that are in the project. Only in this way will it be understood what kind of situation really lies ahead”, says Konstantin Pavlov, mayor of the neighboring Lozenets district. which also suffers the negatives of redevelopment and heavy car traffic in this part of the city.
© Georgi Kozhuharov
What does the area around the mall look like?
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