April - June 2001
BACK on TRACK
1)   Preliminary planning of the Formula One racing track, as per Council of Ministers' resolution 40 of November 23, 2000.
2)   Adding a pedestrian bridge near the Beirut western marina to provide a link from the hotel district to the marina.
3)   Widening Zeitouneh street to improve traffic conditions.
4)   Widening the private unbuilt area between highrise buildings in the hotel district  to create breathing
space.
5)   Adding an underground car park under the public open space near the Hilton hotel.
6)   Adding a public open space with a public underground car park in the Wadi Abou Jamil residential neighborhood.
7)   Creating a public open space near St Elie church.
8)   Creating a public open space near the Grand Serail entrance (demolition of the existing building).
9)   Creating a public open space near the Evangelical church.
10) Delineating Riad El Solh Square according to the actual landscape design, and the planned underground car park.
11) Building a private  underground car park to service the Foch-Allenby area.
12) Specifying the site for the study of two bridges above the Ancient Tell, as per Council of Ministers' resolution 40 of November 23, 2000.
13) Amending the Cadmos street alignment to preserve archeological remains.
14) Building an underground car park facing the Municipality building to service  the Foch-Allenby area.
15)  Creating a public open space in the Saifi area.
With the publication of Council of Ministers' decree 5714 of  June 19, 2001, the city center is back on track. The decree was issued following resolution 13 of May 24, 2001 which approved the updating and amendment of the BCD Master Plan and regulations, together with 1/500 maps and the exact delimitation of the reconstituted public domain.

This was the last  step in a long procedure started by SOLIDERE in 1999 to resolve outstanding Master Plan issues.

The decree will allow the final delivery by SOLIDERE of the completed infrastructure and reconstituted public domain, executed by the Company on behalf of the State as per law 117/1991, the Company articles and the 1994 agreement with the State.

It is also crucial for the accounting of development areas in the BCD.

Finally, by resolving any apparent contradictions between the original Master Plan and the national building code, it will allow the release of easement and alignment certificates; facilitate property lot subdivision and regrouping schemes as needed for development projects; and enable developers to register property transfers and obtain construction permits in order to start implementing their projects.

Around 28 building permit applications will thus be unblocked, affecting both SOLIDERE  and other developers in the city center.

Traditional BCD Area Distribution Public domain

  • Total areas allocated to the public domain: 502,152 sq m.
  • The original Master Plan featured a number of small open spaces destined to provide breathing space between existing buildings or to broaden some sidewalks. Some of these spaces were cancelled by government officials and replaced by other areas.
  • Consequently, public domain areas decreased to approximately 498,534 sq m.
  • Areas to be relinquished by SOLIDERE to the State in order to balance this reduction: 3,618 sq m.

Development areas

  • Total development rights in the BCD: unchanged.
  • Area allocated to SOLIDERE: approximately 595,474 sq m, of which:
  • Development land: 563,441 sq m.
  • Remaining area: devoted to Hadîqat as-Samâh and other private open spaces, of which 11,000 sq m may have car parks underneath.