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Minsk’s general development plan expected to be revised this year

Minsk’s general development plan will be revised this year, Deputy Construction Minister Dzmitry Semyankovich told reporters in the capital city on Wednesday.

The construction ministry intends to set a number of tasks to the Minsk city government, including using areas outside the Minsk Beltway for construction purposes, Mr. Semyankovich said.

It is necessary to decide where the city’s tallest buildings will be located, he said.

The city government should also change its attitude to railroad tracks, which criss-cross Minsk at present, Mr. Semyankovich said. “The task is to get rid of freight traffic and develop passenger [services],” he said.

The preservation of the historic and cultural heritage is another priority, Mr. Semyankovich said. It is necessary to extend the conservation efforts beyond the Trayetskaye Pradmestse and Verkhni Horad neighborhoods, he said. For example, it is necessary to decide which areas along Independence Avenue should be granted the status of supervised construction zones, he said.

Some construction projects on the city’s major thoroughfare are beginning to jar with the architectural style of downtown Minsk, Mr. Semyankovich noted. //BelaPAN