Bulgarian Govt Refashions Notorious Army Building Project in Sofia

Bulgaria's Cabinet has decided in favor of the partial completion of a controversial construction project of the Defense Ministry in downtown Sofia.

The so called National Army Complex is known also as the "military NDK" because it is likened to NDK (i.e. the National Palace of Culture) as it is located close to it in downtown Sofia, and is just as huge.

The construction of the National Army Complex has come under much criticism in the Bulgarian media since its inception in 2004-2006 with critics arguing that the Bulgarian Army and Defense Ministry do not need such a costly and enormous project, which might be used to channel funds from the military budget into private hands.

The National Army Complex project ran into disrepute as since 2008-2009 the Defense Ministry ran out of funds for its construction. Though not fully completed, it was put on sale for BGN 100 M by former Defense Minister Nikolay Tsonev in 2008 but no investors showed any interest.

On Wednesday, the Borisov government decided to allocated additional BGN 10 M for the completion of two parts of the grand project – a conference hall and a hotel complex.

Thus, the Cabinet plans to turn the ill-fated "National Army Complex" into an administrative building to be owned jointly by the ministries of defense and justice.

Preliminary estimates of the government state that the future administrative building should be fit to host the National Registry Agency, the Sofia District Administrative Court, the Supreme Administrative Prosecutor's Office, and the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office, while the giant conference hall can be used by the Defense and Justice Ministries.

The unfinished National Army Complex is located at 23 Skobelev Blvd in Sofia on an area of 1.4 hectares on the spot of the former Military History Museum. In addition to a luxury hotel complex, a movie theater with 2 800 seats, and offices for the Defense Ministry and military institutions, it was supposed to include a sizable park and memorial dedicated to the victories of the Bulgarian Army.

According to recent media reports, the market price of the complex has gone down to BGN 20 M; this might have been taken into consideration by the government with respect to its decision not to sale the "military NDK."

Internet source: novinite.com
Photo: BGNES

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