Riga City Council committee supports leasing out land plot for construction of ice hockey arena
Riga City Council^apostrofs;s City Development Committee today approved leasing out a land plot at Skanstes Street to "Multihalle Ltd." for a new ice hockey arena there, and the matter is now to be reviewed by the full Riga City Council.
Riga City Council's City Development Committee today approved leasing out a land plot at Skanstes Street to "Multihalle Ltd." for a new ice hockey arena there, and the matter is now to be reviewed by the full Riga City Council.
The committee decided that additional 15 hectares of land, that were to be leased out for five years, would be set aside for the time being. This means that the city council could yet adopt a different decision on utilization of this land plot, if "Multihalle" does not meet its obligations. Leasing out 17 hectares for a period of 49 years was approved.
Councilman Janis Freimanis said during the committee's debate that he had obtained a "black folder" with documents and a letter on the current situation on the above land plot. If this information is true, questions about the legality of leasing out the land plot could arise. According to the letter, this land plot includes private property, a part of buildings there were lawfully constructed before World War II, people still live there.
The letter says that owners of family gardens on this land plot have the preemptive right to purchase the land. 828 Rigans' signatures have been gathered in a signature drive against leasing out the land plot for an ice hockey arena. The letter says that the founders of "Multihalle" are Guntis Indriksons, Ojars Kehris, Kirovs Lipmans and Vilnis Strams, the head of the Riga City Council's City Development Department. The latter has already sold his stake in the company, however.
Another letter from the Ministry of Education and Science was a great surprise to the City Development Committee. According to the letter, the ministry categorically objects to leasing out any territory on which the ministry's property sit. Earlier, however, the ministry had supported all activities linked with the construction of the arena.
The committee decided to request the Cabinet of Ministers to turn over the Education Ministry's buildings on the land plot to the Riga City Council, so that these buildings could be torn down. The complex is currently run by the Latvian Youth and Sports Center. No sporting events, however, take place in these buildings, neither have they been registered with the Land Register.
The committee decided to notify owners of the above family gardens that the land plot would be set aside for "Multihalle".
The 17-hectare land plot between Vesetas Street and Grostonas Street includes five private homes, in which eight people live overall.
"Multihalle" had asked the Riga City Council to lease out a land plot of 32 hectares on Skanstes Street to the company for construction of an ice hockey arena and other infrastructure objects there. The city council also received a similar request from the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation. The Ministry of Education and Science had previously expressed support for the matter.
Martins Kalaus LETA
Copyright © LETA
The committee decided that additional 15 hectares of land, that were to be leased out for five years, would be set aside for the time being. This means that the city council could yet adopt a different decision on utilization of this land plot, if "Multihalle" does not meet its obligations. Leasing out 17 hectares for a period of 49 years was approved.
Councilman Janis Freimanis said during the committee's debate that he had obtained a "black folder" with documents and a letter on the current situation on the above land plot. If this information is true, questions about the legality of leasing out the land plot could arise. According to the letter, this land plot includes private property, a part of buildings there were lawfully constructed before World War II, people still live there.
The letter says that owners of family gardens on this land plot have the preemptive right to purchase the land. 828 Rigans' signatures have been gathered in a signature drive against leasing out the land plot for an ice hockey arena. The letter says that the founders of "Multihalle" are Guntis Indriksons, Ojars Kehris, Kirovs Lipmans and Vilnis Strams, the head of the Riga City Council's City Development Department. The latter has already sold his stake in the company, however.
Another letter from the Ministry of Education and Science was a great surprise to the City Development Committee. According to the letter, the ministry categorically objects to leasing out any territory on which the ministry's property sit. Earlier, however, the ministry had supported all activities linked with the construction of the arena.
The committee decided to request the Cabinet of Ministers to turn over the Education Ministry's buildings on the land plot to the Riga City Council, so that these buildings could be torn down. The complex is currently run by the Latvian Youth and Sports Center. No sporting events, however, take place in these buildings, neither have they been registered with the Land Register.
The committee decided to notify owners of the above family gardens that the land plot would be set aside for "Multihalle".
The 17-hectare land plot between Vesetas Street and Grostonas Street includes five private homes, in which eight people live overall.
"Multihalle" had asked the Riga City Council to lease out a land plot of 32 hectares on Skanstes Street to the company for construction of an ice hockey arena and other infrastructure objects there. The city council also received a similar request from the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation. The Ministry of Education and Science had previously expressed support for the matter.
Martins Kalaus LETA
Copyright © LETA
