RED ALERT: SOS for str Povernei 1-3 & 2: Office block complex imminent...

RED ALERT:

Add another horror to the list of demolitions and potential destructions in Bucharest: Str. Vasile Alecsandri nr. 4 and Str. Povernei, two villas number 1-3 and 2, due to a dubious privatisation by the State of SC Proiect Bucuresti. As a result, V.Alecsandri 4, the most representative office building from the inter-war period (Neo-Romanian style) and formerly property of Reshitza Industries was demolished in 2009 and a couple of beautiful villas in a protected zone on Povernei could well be next. A huge office block complex is destined to fill the space, which will completely destroy the character of the area. See PUZ documents HERE and HERE  

The approval for demolitions dates back to 2007 and was signed by....guess who? That criminal Stefan Damian... The SOS was sounded in February of this year by Silvia Colfescu and Pro_Do_Mo.

This is one of the most beautiful areas of Bucharest. The Proiect Bucuresti houses have gone. Povernei 2 and Povernei 1-3 are still there, but only just. Pro_Do_Mo have reason to believe that the demolitions of Povernei 2 and part of Povernei 1-3 are imminent. In the photo above (source) you can see the part of the Povernei 1-3 complex concerned.

Five letters were addressed to the PMB, DCPNMB and ISC asking for information back in February. Apart from an unhelpful answer from PMB, no replies have been forthcoming to date. No guesses as to why that is.

You may remember that I wrote a post on the two Povernei houses back in February, commenting:

"It is now possible that str Povernei will also lose two of its buildings, n°1-3 (left: source) and n°2. 'Workmen' have already been seen busying away on the roof of one building and hanging around the other for quite some time now. This would be another shocking act of patrimonial slaughter should the demolitions take place. This time, there is no excuse. The houses are in good condition, there are no gypsies (one of the excuses for Hala Matache) and they are not in the way of a road. N° 1-3 is a beautiful property built by William Blast for the brother of Princess Elena Cuza, whilst N° 2 is a Louis Blanc...  So why are they for the axe? I have absolutely no idea, but I promise a post will follow on the situation of these two houses just as soon as I find out more." Well...now we DO know more....

THIS HAS TO STOP!!!! When will it end?? We already know the answer to that: when there is nothing left to destroy. PLEASE PLEASE HELP!!! Contact your local newspapers, your journalist friends, anyone you know who works in the EU Parliament, anyone with any thwack at all. PLEASE do not be passive. We can make a huge amount of noise for the dogs. Let's also do it for the history and the patrimony - the very SOUL of Bucharest. It is not only Roumanian history, but OUR history, too. This must be internationally publicised. Those destroying architectural beauty and heritage MUST be shamed in no uncertain terms. This COULD NOT HAPPEN ANYWHERE ELSE, so why do we let it happen in Bucharest?!!! PLEASE stand up for the city, in the name of its past, present AND its future.

Comments

[sairj]

ps. Text changed. Let me know if there's anything I should add.

[sairj]

Hi Silvia! Thank you so much. It was indeed from Hotnews. I googled my fingers off to find one and this was the pix that kept coming up. Someone must have a pix of V.Alecsandri 4... I'll post a query on FB. Thank you again Silvia :o)

[silvia]

Sarah dear, the photo you have published above as Alecsandri 4 is part of the complex of Povernei 1-3. I haven't a photo of the late Alecsandri 4, it was a big building, formerly property of Reshitza Industries. It was demolished 2 years ago. I think you have found this picture on the Hotnews site; it is an error which I have signalized to them and you can found that on my blog istorioare bucurestene, under the title "O confuzie".