The National Committee for Developing and Preserving Historic Cairo held its monthly meeting on Wednesday, under the chairmanship of former Prime Minister and current Assistant to the President of the Republic for National and Strategic Projects, Sherif Ismail.
The meeting tackled the plan to renovate al-Azbakeya Park, which is currently delayed by disagreements between Cairo Governorate local authorities, the National Organization For Urban Harmony, the Metro Authority, and the General Authority for Urban Planning. Representatives of the four parties were available at the meeting, and agreed to have a plan complete with a specified timeline for the garden’s reservation by next month.
Ismail stressed the need to resolve the four parties’ disagreements by any means, in order to renovate the historic garden.
The committee also discussed a plan to develop downtown Cairo. Ismail instructed the General Authority for Urban Planning and the National Organization for Urban Harmony to draw a detailed plan, with a specific timeline and budget for the project as soon as possible.
Ismail said that the committee will work on raising the funds necessary to develop the financial quarter of downtown Cairo.
The committee also resolved that the Cabinet will abandon all heritage buildings and offices it currently occupies, and transfer its headquarters to non-heritage places outside downtown Cairo. Any headquarters of ministries and government offices located in that area are expect to be moved to the new Administrative Capital.
The committee also heard a report prepared by Cairo’s governor, on a plan to remove irregularities at heritage buildings, and end their unauthorized use as apartments.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
