Chișinău renovation stalled: Ministry, City Hall clash
The Ministry of Culture has leveled new criticisms against Chișinău City Hall, accusing it of deliberately delaying the renovation of the pedestrian section of 31 August 1989 Street in the capital.
The City Hall has not yet responded to the Ministry's statements.
The Ministry of Culture stated on its Facebook page that after the draft project "Development of the 31 August 1989 Street Pedestrian Area" was approved in March 2024, the designer and Chișinău City Hall were to develop the detailed design and submit it to the National Commission of Historical Monuments (CNMI) for approval.
To date, the Ministry of Culture has not received any request from the designers or Chișinău City Hall to examine the detailed design, according to the cited source.
The Ministry of Culture asserts that Chișinău City Hall is deliberately delaying the renovation of the aforementioned street section, manipulating public opinion with false and unfounded statements, and consciously creating and perpetuating this situation in the heart of the capital.
Neither Natalia Ixari, an advisor in the mayor's office, nor Vasile Chirilescu, the City Hall spokesperson, responded to phone calls seeking comment. The City Hall has not yet responded to these criticisms on its website or official social media pages.
The project to renovate the 31 August 1989 Street roadway and convert it into a pedestrian zone has been a point of contention between Chișinău City Hall and the Ministry of Culture since the cobblestone was discovered during construction.
The old cobblestone was discovered during road repairs in March 2023. After two weeks of research, archaeologists concluded that the paving dates to 1870 and recommended its preservation and use as a legally protected historical monument.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
