The Tbilisi City Hall is extending its program for replacing unsafe residential buildings to include Old Tbilisi, introducing a new approach specifically made for the city’s historic areas.
Deputy Mayor Giorgi Tkemaladze said the municipality is currently working on dozens of projects in districts where structural conditions require more complex planning due to heritage preservation rules.
Under the updated framework, the program will operate along two tracks. In non-historic neighborhoods, structurally unsafe buildings will be demolished and replaced with newly constructed residential blocks. In contrast, in historic areas, where strict architectural and volume regulations apply, the city will adopt a buyout model instead of direct redevelopment.
The buyout mechanism means that the municipality acquires properties at market value, based on owner agreements and independent assessments conducted by the Levan Samkharauli National Forensics Bureau. Once acquired, the sites will be offered to private investors under the same urban planning parameters currently in force.
City officials say the initiative is designed to improve safety conditions while preserving the architectural integrity of Old Tbilisi. Authorities stress that the program is not profit-driven and the goal is to address long-standing structural risks in residential buildings.
Tkemaladze stated that several cases are already in progress and the municipality expects to present specific project details publicly in the coming months.
