Property claims halt Redemption Cathedral project

. “It is the legitimate right of former owners to demand their properties based on the property laws… and we are in the delicate situation of not being able to start the construction works on the cathedral. We have asked for support from the prime minister, so that we can clarify the judiciary status of the cathedral plot,” he said.
In his view, the best solution would be repaying the former owners in cash, by setting up cash collateral so that the owners have the certainty they will receive the market value of the plot and that they are being expropriated for a public utility cause. The municipality will start discussions with former owners, but the process could take more than a year, Videanu predicts.
The Redemption Cathedral project and the urban zoning plan (PUZ) were approved at the beginning of last year after a decade of negotiations and three different location proposals. The 11 hectares on Arsenalului Hill which will host the cathedral building were transferred to the Romanian Patriarchy.

Corina Saceanu