ONE SEA, MANY FISH?

Nina Akhmeteli

Georgia’s New Playground

A railroad. A zoo. A recreational zone. There is no shortage of plans for Tbilisi Sea, the city’s main reservoir and summer retreat.

Map of proposed zoning around Tbilisi Sea

City officials maintain that currently there are no major developments slated for the city’s water reserve until a strategic plan for the area can be approved this spring.

“Currently there is no [development] at the Tbilisi Sea area,” Deputy Mayor Davit Ninidze told Investor.ge, adding that the administration is busy hammering out an official agenda for development now.

“Many investors are interested in investing in this part of the city,” he said. “But so far everything is just at the project stage. A framework should be approved … the relocation of railway should start and probably only after that will investors make their final decisions.”

The framework for the development of Tbilisi Sea has already been created by Tbilisi’s Urban Planning Agency and is currently awaiting approval by the City Council, according to Gia Abuladze, an architect who worked on the document.  

If approved, the plan remakes Tbilisi Sea into one of the country’s largest sports-recreational parks, stretching over a total area of over 5,000 hectares of space.

Part of the completed development project will include a Sports Palace for 12-15 thousand viewers, an ice and a Chess Palace and arenas for various sports activities, as well as hippodrome and mini golf course.

City officials are hoping the newly developed sports and recreation park will draw tourists and visitors from around the country, as well as bring in tourists from abroad. If the current plan is adopted, the development would link Zhinvali, Sioni and Tbilisi Sea reservoirs –  creating a hot, new destination.  

“In the area surrounding these three reservoirs are many monuments and an interesting tourism infrastructure can be developed there,”  Abuladze said. “Even today Tbilisi Sea cannot be considered a recreational zone for Tbilisi alone; based on its scale it is a recreational area for the whole region.”

 Another possible role for Tbilisi Sea: the new home of the Tbilisi Zoo. The zoo, currently located in Saburtalo on approximately nine hectares of land, is looking for a new home and Abuladze believes Tbilisi Sea might be the perfect place for it to expand.

Zurab Gurielidze, the zoo’s general director, said it is too early to know where the zoo will eventually end up although regardless of the location, it definitely requires more space to meet international standards.

“The Zoological Park should be easy to access in a large enough territory and have a pleasant landscape. If the decision is taken, all these issues will be considered,” Gurielidze said.

A Blank Slate?

But all this talk of new development plans and agendas is making existing investors nervous.

While the city is still officially trying to decide the fate of Tbilisi Sea, businesses and homes have already been built near the reservoir.

City officials, however, maintain there is no threat for existing buildings.

Mikheil Avaliani, the head of Tbilisi City Hall’s Architectural Service, says even residential – or any other building – located outside the proper area will be allowed to function. He noted, however, that there might be some restrictions on enlarging or developing existing buildings or homes.

The new plan will potentially change the categorization of registered land plots. While some territories will retain their residential designation, Tbilisi Urban Planning Agency is considering moving nearly 1,500 registered properties from the Tbilisi Sea recreational zone to other territories.

The agency is recommending that City Hall integrate the interests of the owners of registered 115 plots occupying an overall 575 hectares into its plans.

“There is the huge number of problems caused by the land plots that were distributed and they should be resolved,” Abuladze said.

Mikheil Gotvadze, a co-director of ABCD Group which operates the Tbilisi Sea Club at Tbilisi Sea, is optimistic about the future of the area.

“The water in Tbilisi Sea is very clean and I am sure it has a huge potential for investors,” Gotvadze said.  “There are talks about moving the zoo to this territory which will also increase the number of visitors and turn Tbilisi Sea into a place of relaxation for the young and old.”

Trouble at the Crossroads

Some concern, however, remains about the plans to use territory near the reservoir for the railroad. Association Green Alternative has raised red flags about the Tbilisi Railway bypass project since the railway route would cross Tbilisi National Park and run along Tbilisi’s reservoir.

 “The idea of the removing railway from the city is acceptable in itself but there are issues within the project regarding Tbilisi Sea that need further study,” Davit Chipashvili, the International Financial Institutions Program Coordinator for Green Alternative, said. “In the case of an oil spill, oil will enter Tbilisi Sea which means that around 25 percent of Tbilisi residents will be left without drinking water.”

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