Gigi Ugulava, the Mayor of Tbilisi (Georgia) and Irakli Ezugbaia, CEO of Georgian Railways were in Paris on Friday 17th December2010 to sign a contract to draw up an urban development plan covering approximately 90 hectares at the heart of the Georgian capital. It was won by a consortium bringing together the Apur (authorised representative), Systra (engineering and consulting firm, subsidiary of the Paris City Transport Authority Ratp and the French Rail Company Sncf) and Spectrum (the Georgian engineering and consulting firm). The Spanish firm EXA (experts in real estate issues) is also involved, having been subcontracted by Georgian Railways'.
The ambition of the Mayor of Tbilisi is that development of this land, owned by the company Georgian Railways , should embody the changing, 21st century face of Tbilisi and strengthen the city's central position as capital of the whole Caucasus region. At a more local level developing this land acquired for public purposes, should also contribute to re-establishing an equilibrium in the city of the two banks of the river Kura (Mt’kvari). It also has to enable the fragmentation of the urban fabric created by the railway infrastructure to be erased. The project must address the city's present and future needs in terms of housing, economic activity and public services but also provide public spaces and infrastructures with particular attention being paid to high quality urban requirements that respect sustainable development.
This vast holding represents a unique land improvement opportunity for Tbilisi and its development must allow a new centrality on the left bank of the river to emerge and even give a new image of Tbilisi to the world internationally as well as a fresh dynamic at a local level.
The study will take place over an 8 month period (January-October 2011)