ALL FAMILIES LEFT HOMELESS BY EARTHQUAKE TO HAVE APARTMENTS BY 2013, OFFICIALS SAY
Noyan Tapan
July 17, 2009
YEREVAN, JULY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Excavation work for building a new
town in the city of Spitak in Lori marz began on July 15. Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan had arrived in the earthquake zone to
familiarize himself with the construction process in Spitak, as well
as Mush-2 district in the city of Gyumri.
He participated in the festivities "Spitak as a City of Friendship"
attended by the ambassadors and consuls of the countries that have
contributed to the elimination of the consequences of the 1988 Spitak
earthquake, other guests.
RA Minister of Urban Development Vardan Vardanian stated that in
accordance with the consept on the earthquake zone’s restoration,
the apartment problem of about 7,000 families left homeless will be
solved by 2013. More than 3,000 apartments will be built in Gyumri,
and starting from November, 1,320 families will receive apartments
in Mush-2 district. The construction of Ani district in Gyumri has
already begun and another 254 apartments will be delivered for use
in July, 2010. In the words of the minister, nearly 400 families
will have house-warming parties in Lori marz in 2009: apartment
houses will be constructed in such communities as Shirakamut (former
Nalband, which was the epicenter of the 1988 earthqake), Mets Parni,
Geghasar, Arevashogh, Gogaran, Lusaghbyur, Sarahart, Hartagyugh and
Stepanavan. The provision of certificates for apartment purchase will
continue, and residents of the earthquake zone and about a thousand
families of refugees from Azerbaijan who currently live in other
regions of Armenia will receive such certificates.
More than 1,100 builders are engaged in construction work in Gyumri
alone.
According to the minister, most of them are locals with a montly
salary of 150 thousand drams (about 410 USD).
The minister said that under the project, it is also envisaged
building 354 dwelling houses with their adjoining plots in a 40-ha
area in Spitak, 36 houses of which will form the District of Masters
with apartments and workshops of handicraftsmen.
The construction work is being done by Glendale Hills company with the
RA state budget’s money. According to the company’s director general
Vahe Almoyan, initially it was planned to spend 43 billion drams
(about 118 million USD) on construction in Gyumri, but later the
program was optimized and expenses were reduced to about 30 billion
drams. 26 billion drams will be spent on construction of private
dwelling houses in rural communities of Shirak and Lori marzes.