Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has announced the demolition of another 107 pavilions that, according to the city authorities, were built illegally.
“The city is continuing to get rid of unauthorized construction on utility lines and in protected areas of the [Moscow] metro,” Sobyanin was quoted by the TASS news agency as saying at the weekly meeting of the Moscow government on Tuesday.
He called on the city authorities to make the demolition process “safe” and help entrepreneurs renting the pavilions to find new properties to rent, TASS reported.
The announcement comes months after “the night of long shovels” — City Hall's controversial move to demolish 104 kiosks overnight in February that sparked outcry from entrepreneurs and Muscovites.
For many kiosk owners, the demolition was completely unexpected. Some struggled to get their assets out as buildings were being bulldozed.
City Hall claimed back then that they had warned the owners in advance and even offered to let them dismantle the kiosks themselves.
This time, Sobyanin also allowed entrepreneurs to dismantle the pavilions voluntarily — in this case, they would be due compensation, TASS reported. The City Hall promised to warn pavilion owners about demolition within seven days after the executive order is published.
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