Georgian capital prepares for construction of “government city”

The Georgian government has formed a special commission to implement a “government city” project in Tbilisi.

The decision is part of the ruling Georgian Dream party’s plan to relocate key administrative buildings from the capital’s centre, Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

The complex is planned for Arsenal Hill (Gedevanishvili Street – ed.) and will cover an area of up to 77 hectares.

The commission will be headed by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. The parliamentary speaker has been proposed as deputy chairman, while the infrastructure minister has been appointed as the second deputy chairman.

The project envisages the construction of 282,750 square meters of new buildings. The “government city” is expected to house Parliament, the government administration, the Tbilisi City Hall, the State Security Service and nine ministries, including the Foreign Affairs, Economy, Education, Culture, Health and Agriculture ministries. The office of the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality will also be relocated there.

The largest building will be the city hall, with an area of 59,900 square meters, while 31,350 square meters will be allocated to Parliament. At least 10,000 square meters will be reserved for reception areas and event halls.

The published documents emphasise that the complex should be “integrated into the urban structure” while being surrounded by a security perimeter. The project effectively envisages a single protected administrative cluster.

It remains unclear what the government plans to do with the existing buildings whose functions will be moved to Arsenal Hill, including whether the current city hall, Parliament and government buildings will be sold and, if so, for how much.

The construction start date and overall cost of the project have not yet been announced.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov