#solidere

Number of vacant shops in Solidere mounts | Business , Lebanon | THE DAILY STAR
http://dailystar.com.lb/Business/Lebanon/2013/Feb-01/204534-number-of-vacant-shops-in-solidere-mounts.ashx#axzz2JdEUOFdE

The retail exodus from Solidere that began late last year has picked up steam in 2013 and shows no sign of abating.

The Daily Star counted at least 50 vacant retail properties and countless more shops stocked with merchandise, but closed for business. Certain blocks, like MGR Toubia Aoun Street, are lined almost entirely with empty storefronts. Some of them still bear the names of previous occupants, while others have “for rent” signs. The men’s clothing store, Sinno, is the only one of at least 20 retail spaces on the block that was open for business at 4 p.m. Thursday, though a women’s store nearby, Vivae, is apparently open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

#Beyrouth
#Solidere
#tourisme

Solidere Burns Bright While Lebanon Goes Dark | Al Akhbar English
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/solidere-burns-bright-while-lebanon-goes-dark#comment-8494
Article intéressant mais assez criticable. Je reproduit ici le commentaire sur le site du Akhbar:
The second part of this paper shows very clearly a major problem of the electricity grid in Lebanon, ie the undercapacity of the distribution network in some areas, like Dahiyeh. This shows that the pb is not only one of production as the minister claims but of distribution too.
But the first part is confusing and, I fear, misleading. The “plant” is not, as far as I know and as far as I understand, a powerplant which would supply the downtown area when EDL does not serve it, as would do a neighbourhood generator, since this would mean that a parallel network would exist, which i think is not the case. We are speaking about “transformers” which transforms HV electricity into LV electricity to be supplied to buildings, shops, etc. It is fully part of EDL networks, even if, possibly, Solidere has not handed it over to EDL and still maintains it. In itself, I dont’ think that it means that Solidere is priviledged over the remaining areas. If it is the case (the paper does not state clearly if downtown receives more electricity than neighbouring areas in Beirut municipality), then it means that the dispatching of electricity favours it. But again, it would have nothing to see with the fact that these transformers have a surplus capacity. Of course, this surcapacity is a waste of money (that the public authorities paid in land and construction rights, and hence it should denounced.)
#Beyrouth
#Solidere
#electricity

Lebanon news - NOW Lebanon -Beirut protest turns violent after security chief funeral
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=449170
Pour la première fois, ce sont des groupes partisans de Hariri qui s’en prennent au centre-ville et aux instituions gouvernementales qu’il abrite. Etonnant retournement.

Security forces defending the seat of the Lebanese government fired tear gas on the protesters, who were tearing down barricades and throwing projectiles at soldiers. Gunfire could be heard in Downtown Beirut as troops shot rounds into the air in an attempt to disperse the protest, while army troops rushed to the area.

#Beyrouth
#Liban
#Solidere

Solidere : une suite sans fin d’empiétement sur le domaine public maritime
Public Property ... For the Rich Only | Al Akhbar English
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/public-property-rich-only
Un article de Mohammad Zbeeb

These measures have effectively rendered the entire area private when both the law and the original master plan designate this area as public land.

The Zaytouna Bay project has been one long exercise in corruption, from start to finish. It has proceeded in violation of the constitution and the law, which were amended or bent in order to allow construction to go forward. This has been carried out at the expense of citizens’ rights and has resulted in the waste of public money and the theft of public land.

#Beyrouth
#Solidere
#littoral
#domaine_public

Mobilisation contre l’appropriation des espaces publics dans le centre de Beyrouth
THE DAILY STAR :: News :: Local News :: Activist group seeks to protect public spaces menaced by development
http://dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Sep-28/189451-activist-group-seeks-to-protect-public-spaces-menaced-by-develo

Development in Lebanon’s capital can appear unstoppable at times, given its speed and rampancy. But ever since reconstruction began in the wake of the Civil War there have been individuals trying to push it in a different direction. The latest of these is Masha3, a group of around 12 activists who will launch Friday a campaign for the protection of public spaces, a rare commodity in Beirut, a city where the main park is closed to all its young citizens.
[...]
Masha3 will hold its first event Friday evening at St. George beach club, a location chosen for its proximity to Solidere’s waterfront development, which Masha3 considers to be illegal.

“It’s illegal to build so close to the sea,” says journalist Bassam al-Kantar, one of the founding members of the group. “It prevents people having free access to the sea, and it’s very clear in our [penal] code that that’s a right, to have free and open access to the seashore.” Solidere declined to comment Thursday.

#Beyrouth
#espace_public
#Solidere

Lebanon :: Solidere announces plans for technology park
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Business/Lebanon/2012/Mar-31/168642-solidere-announces-plans-for-technology-park.ashx#axzz1qhDcZMBr

Solidere announced that it intends to set up a technology park as part of a drive to turn the Beirut Central District into an advanced technology and IT hub that will attract small and medium sized companies.

Je parierai volontiers que c’est pour occuper, au moins temporairement, leur gigantesque remblai en attendant que le reste des parcelles sur la terre ferme soient occupées. A moins que cela ne signale des difficultés durables pour attirer des investisseurs, notamment dans le secteur financier qui devait se concentrer dans les futurs buildings qu remblai.
#Beyrouth
#Solidere