The Sixth Appeal Administrative Court in Kyiv reversed a ruling by the State Architectural and Construction Inspectorate of Ukraine to forbid construction of Podil Prestige residential and office complex, investigative project Nashi Groshi reported on May 16.
However, the April 24 ruling is not the final word.
“This is one long process that has been going on for four years and it is still ongoing,” said activist Pavlo Kaliuk, pledging an appeal.
The 12-story building, known as “Podil’s monster,” awkwardly towers over other buildings nearby on Nizhny Val Street near central Kontraktova Ploshcha metro station.
The building also blocks an entrance to an underground crossing.
Originally it was supposed to have only eight floors, the maximum legally allowed in the city historic center. That permission came in 2012.
However, just one year after, Patel Leasing, the legal entity owning the building, added an extra four floors to the design.
It was noticed.
In 2015, the Kyiv commercial court banned the construction inspectorate from issuing necessary documents. City authorities also, for the first time, demanded removal of the illegally built floors.
Moreover, on Jan. 12, 2018, the inspectorate revoked permission for construction work of this complex.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko on April 4, 2018, was then sure that the “monster in Podil” would not stand at 12 floors.
But the building remains and, given the new ruling, it appears it may stay for a while.
Kaliuk, however, remains optimistic.
“It activates the issue and people will go to court hearings more. I think everything will be fine. And sooner or later the building will be adjusted to the first version of the project,” said Kaliuk.
Dora Peteli, the director of the developer’s legal entity Patel Leasing, wasn’t available for comment.
