Giant project closes green area and coastal band in Ataköy to public

Half of the 124 thousand square meters of land sold by TOKI (Toplu Konut İdaresi / Public Housing Administration) to the state of Qatar would be opened to the public as a park and green space according to the tender announcement.

Ataköy was one of the rare green areas of Istanbul with its beach and monumental trees. The 412 acres were transferred to TOKI in 2001. The area was declared a “tourist area” and buildings such as hotels, shopping malls and similar functions were defined for the land

TOKI, which divided the land into parcels, put a land of 124,980 square meters on the Ataköy Coast for sale in 2008 with the announcement of “precious land”. In the tender notice, it was written that 68 thousand square meters of land between Ataköy mansions and the Sea of Marmara would be protected as a green space by a special article that TOKI would put in the contract, and green would be organized as a park and green space and opened to the public. It was stated that on this part of the land, with a long coastline, closed buildings could not be erected.

“Arguably the most valuable land in Istanbul will be tendered through the share of proceeds in exchange for the sale of land,” the newspapers announced. KUZU group won the tender.

A project called Deniz İncisi (Sea Pearl) whose architectural drawing on the land bears the signature of Evrenol Architects, was developed. It was announced that 1401 residential units, 17 commercial units and 113 rooms belonging to the hotel would be located in a total of 9 blocks. The construction allowance in the TOKI tender was 249 thousand square meters. However, a total of 547 thousand square meters of construction was carried out in the Sea Pearl Project.

In the Sea Pearl Project, which was sealed (halted) many times due to lawsuits filed during its construction, work continued with the same license without changes to the zoning plans, and the Sea Pearl project was completed.

Now, citizens cannot enter the 68-acre green area and beach band, which the tender announcement said would be open to the public. Only apartment owners of the SeaPearl project can use the seashore and the area that is said to be a park.

SOURCE: sozcu.com.tr/2021/emlak/katar-atakoyu-kapatti-6523956/