Moscow authorities on Tuesday published a new list of buildings to be bulldozed as part of a controversial urban renewal scheme, paving the way for a fifth wave of demolitions.
The list published by the capital’s real estate inspectorate online includes 78 objects in the capital covering 42,300 square meters.
Among the buildings to be torn down is a 6,000 square-meter large shopping center on Simferopolsky Bulvar in southern Moscow. The list also includes a well-known English pub, “Molly Gwynn’s,” and the “Nawoke” noodle restaurant at the heart of Moscow’s Arbat district.
Constructions near several metro stations, including Kuzminki, Vykhino and Tsaritsino, have also been pegged for demolition.
According to the authorities, the objects lack the necessary permits and have been built close to communication networks, electric grids and other crucial infrastructure. “Moscow continues its fight against illegal buildings,” the online statement reads.
To date there have been four demolition waves in the capital, as part of a wide-reaching urban renewal campaign under Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
A demolition wave in February last year sparked an outcry among small and mid-size entrepreneurs, when about 100 pavilions, kiosks and small shopping centers were demolished overnight. Several owners have challenged the demolition in Moscow courts to no avail.
President Vladimir Putin in February signed-off on Sobyanin’s flagship renovation program, which is estimated to impact 1.6 million Muscovites living in post-war apartment buildings named after the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.
The demolition plans have been met with criticism by many of the city's residents, who took to the streets this spring in a series of mass protests against the mayor’s plans.
