“5 Maji”,  the old suburban neighbourhood in Tirana has been transformed into the largest construction site in the capital under a project designed to turn it into a new urban centre for more than 11.000 residents. The new residential complex of quality apartments will include commercial and service units, a school, kindergarten, nursery school, institutions buildings, parks, as well as the site where the renowned French computer programming school “Ecole42” will be built.

Prime Minister Edi Rama today inspected the ongoing construction works, where he was familiarized with the details of the project that promises contemporary housing with optimum living spaces. “We faced some delays in the project implementation due to the torrential rainfall. A part of the buildings will be constructed here and the rest will be constructed on the other side of the hill. The road will traverse the apartments complex and this part of the neighbourhood will be linked with the Bregu i Lumit neighbourhood. This entire square will be a residential area. Four-storey buildings will include a floor featuring various services,” Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj said, while briefly explaining the site layout design.

Combination and proximity of the residential buildings with the education institutions and the public service offices will help citizens in their everyday business. “This site is designed to blend residential buildings with educational institutions. Worth mentioning is the vocational school building, which is set to be constructed through a Greek donation, which was approved by the Council of Ministers and was signed just yesterday. This site will also host the French computer programming school, and Tax Administration and Customs Administration buildings, which will turn the area into an administrative centre. The site is located just 400 meters from the main boulevard,” the Minister of State for Reconstruction Arben Ahmetaj said.

Meanwhile, the issue of expropriation of residents has been already resolved, with the local residents having been offered the opportunity to choose between cash payment or a new apartment in this complex. “Every property has been assessed at 100% of market value and they have the opportunity to choose between the cash payment for their property or an apartment in the new residential complex, with a market value that keeps increasing each year,” Mayor Veliaj said, adding: “Most of them have chosen to take an apartment rather than cash payment and therefore there will be a cohesion among the local residents and the quake-affected families, as well as newcomers to this area. This is the area’s diversity. The new residential buildings will feature one, two and three-bedroom apartments.”

Reconstruction Minister said that the government’s rental housing programme will continue for the quake-affected families that have yet to move into their new homes. “It is appropriate to point out that the Parliament today adopted the Normative Act on the rental housing for the quake-affected families in 2021, just like in 2020, when we allocated state budget funds earmarked to support the housing rental programme for the families that have yet to move into their new houses. It is worth mentioning that a total of 860 families still live in makeshift tents, but their number keeps decreasing from a total of 11.000 families that used to live in tents in January 2020.”

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister Edi Rama demanded that the construction pace speeds up at maximum. “The thing I am most concerned about – and it is something we have discussed several times – is that work here and other construction sites, where residential complexes are being built, should be scheduled in three shifts. This must become a must. Work should go on day and night. What we should all be clear and all aware is the fact that it is in our hand to speed up the work progress on these projects. The things to change are not only the quality of life of those who will be housed here, as the super-quality work here speaks for itself, but also the value of the properties in the entire area. “Kombinat” and “5 Maji neighbourhoods will turn into two new urban centres, not only in the sense that they are home to a large population, but also in the sense that they are also home to more attractions and the value of the properties of these people will increase naturally. The value of the property of those who lost their homes and the value of the properties of the local residents will increase, although the latter have constructed their houses illegally. The value of the property of the young families and the families that will become eligible to the new social and housing programme will increase, and the quality of the community life in the capital will significantly improve. Plus, transfer of the institutions, the public service offices and business activities here will totally transform the area.”