Former Mayor General Gabriela Firea and Sector 3 Mayor Robert Negoitz were the ones who destroyed the chances that the 12-hectare retrocession clause in the IOR Park would be revoked, said Mayor Nikushor Dan, at a press conference held on Thursday, as a reaction to a protest organized by the PSD led by Robert Negoitsa in front of the capital’s city hall in order to preserve green areas. Nikushor Dan explained why he did not challenge the retrocession clause and said that the capital’s prefect, Raresh Gopincha, had applied to the wrong court to overturn the clause.

The mayor-general said he was saving the park thanks to a 35 million euro fine aimed at owners who would not have the money to pay it and thus restore the green areas.

The Mayor General also said that the people of Bucharest make a difference between the circus and the administration.

Below are the main statements:

• As you know, we fined the owner of land in IOR Park 35 million euros for changing the purpose of a part of this park. And this amount is a way to return the park. I mean, we have a dispute challenging this fine, it will be completed in a year and a half, I estimate. Before this legal process, we did all the necessary legal preparation in order not to take any risks. I am confident that we will win this trial. When the litigation ends, the owner must give us 35 million euros, he will not have it, and we will take the land and part of the land, as the appraiser will then say.
• Since there was a discussion in the public space about who and what is doing for the IOR park, the difference between what we did and what the city hall of sector 3 did was 1 million to 1, that is, we gave a fine of 35 million euros, the city hall Sector 3 was fined 35 euros. This is the difference between someone who does administration and someone who does simple security.
• Second, there was a lawsuit initiated 10 years ago by the mayor of Ward 3 to overturn the retrocession clause for IOR Park. Two men, Firea and Negoitsa, destroyed the chances of repealing this provision. How did it happen? In 2019, in the second procedural cycle of this trial, an expert opinion was assigned in the Court of Appeal of Bucharest. The purpose of that examination was to determine whether a park is a park or not. Neither the mayor of Sector 3 nor the mayor of Bucharest since 2019, Firea si Negoice, could find evidence that there was a park there. At that time, the mayor of Bucharest repeatedly asked if you at ALPAB had evidence that this park existed? Do you have proof that you installed benches, furnished, invested money? And the mayor answered: our archive from ALPAB burned down and we have nothing left. But they could have gone and called the people of the area to say that there was a park, or they could have come with ex-employees of the former ALPAB and said yes, there was a park. No evidence was made. And now we are in a situation where this judgment, confirmed by the High Court, in the second and then in the third procedural cycle, says that – and this is a decision that can be appealed against the Mayor of the Municipality of Bucharest, against the Municipality of Bucharest and against Sector 3 – that there is no park, and then someone else has to come, perhaps to prove that there is a park.
• From here, two problems arise, whether we expropriate or not. Yes, we are expropriating, but let Firea and Negoice come with money from home or with money from the party for the stupidity they have done, because we cannot shell out 70 million euros of money from the citizens of Bucharest for the stupidity they have done some it’s people.
• This action by the Prefect was announced with great fanfare, we are finally doing something for the IOR park, we are challenging the retrocession decision in court. I want to show you the legal examination that the legal team did for us and the actions of the prefect. To see who is engaged in administration and who is in the circus. And what’s more, he didn’t go to court, he went to a non-judicial court, if you can imagine. They called you all, how well they are doing, how they are saving the IOR park, and they missed the trial.
• I am convinced that the people of Bucharest will understand the difference between creating a circus, placing banners on fences and gardens and administration, reading laws, reading documents from the archive, going back to files from 2007, from 2019. One is a circus and the other is administration.

Local PSD councilors tried to intervene in Nikusor Dan’s press conference, accusing him of not taking steps to preserve the IOR park and attacking the 12 ha retrocession order in court. The mayor again listed what had been done and said that he wished the prefect’s actions to be successful, but he doubted it.

Several hundred people, led by Sector 3 Mayor Robert Negoitz, protested in front of the capital city hall on Thursday evening during the “Together we will save the IOR Park” rally organized by the Social Democratic Party Sector 3. The participants asked the general mayor Nikushor Dan to appeal in court the decision to alienate 12 hectares from the IOR park.

It will be recalled that about 12 hectares of green spaces were reconstructed in 2005, and last year the owners or tenants announced that they wanted to build an amusement park there.

From the beginning of 2022 to the end of August 2023, on an area of ​​approximately 12 hectares of retroduced in the IOR park, 15 fires broke out, in which more than 2 hectares of green areas were burned, according to data sent by the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations. Situations of Bucharest Ilfov at the request of HotNews.ro. In 11 out of 15 fires, the probable cause established by the fire service is a cigarette, two fires were caused by arson, and in the rest – a fire on green areas that got out of control, it is noted. in the response sent by firefighters to Hotnews.ro’s request.

Since the beginning of the year, dozens of trees in the restored section of the IOR park, with an area of ​​​​almost 12 hectares, have been cut down so that the blocks on the boulevard can be seen from the park. Nikolay Hryhorescu, although there used to be a “forest” there. Residents of the area informed the local police, who fined the violators, but the maximum fine is 100 lei for individuals, and after 15 days you can pay half of the minimum amount, i.e. 25 lei. Apart from these symbolic fines, the authorities have done nothing to stop the destruction of trees. Last year, important areas of green areas caught fire, and dozens of trees mysteriously withered, the trunk was hollowed out.

In 2009, about 12 hectares returned to the IOR park were established as a park. This is also demonstrated by several images from the history of Google Maps – Street View. You can see paths, well-kept roses, mowed grass, city furniture.

Later, becoming private property, the green spaces were no longer maintained and remained in a neglected state. Since the beginning of this year, dozens of trees have been imperceptibly cut down, and residents of the area are fighting to preserve the park.