Makhachkala residents considered the infrastructure burden of the former hippodrome development to be excessive.

Residents of Makhachkala and Kaspiysk commented on the development project, commenting on the housing construction project on the former hippodrome site.

"Caucasian Knot" wrote that in early February, Dagestan head Sergei Melikov promised to build a modern ice arena on the former hippodrome site, while Makhachkala residents believe the money would be better spent on priority needs. On March 10, Melikov reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin supported the initiative to build an ice arena in the republic. Makhachkala residents believe that popular sports in the republic should be developed, and that maintaining the arena will be very expensive.

At a meeting of the board of the Ministry of Construction of Dagestan, integrated territorial development projects were presented. These included a project to develop multi-story buildings on the site of the former Makhachkala hippodrome.

The final board meeting of the Dagestan Ministry of Construction was held on March 13 in Makhachkala with the participation of the republic's Prime Minister, Abdulmuslim Abdulmuslimov, the ministry's Telegram channel reported.

According to Dagestan Minister of Construction and Housing and Public Utilities Bakhtiyar Ullaev, the planning documentation for the 21.6-hectare "Hippodrome" project has been approved, land plots have been allocated, and construction phases have been determined. The developer has begun designing the first phase of the project.

"It is worth noting that the project site has been able to accommodate an additional 250-child kindergarten, which was not included in the original concept." This will reduce the burden on social infrastructure in this part of the city," Ullaev said.

Development of the former hippodrome site will create additional burden on the city's infrastructure, according to residents of Makhachkala and Kaspiysk.

"This is a busy highway between Makhachkala and Kaspiysk, and it's already practically completely built up. Driving here is problematic every morning and evening during rush hour. The new microdistrict will be populated by thousands of residents, and it's hard to imagine what will happen to the traffic," says Shamil.

"The hospital, clinics, and school closest to the microdistrict are in Reduktorny Settlement, and there are very few of them. Now thousands of people will be transferred to services there, so what will happen? No one said they would build new schools and kindergartens," says Maryam.

"I commute daily to work from Kaspiysk to Makhachkala and back, and my children go to college in Makhachkala. The commute takes a long time because of the traffic jams. Now that they've built the new microdistrict, it'll be a nightmare," says Makhach.

Earlier, Madina Ibragimova, an activist with the "Our City" movement, spoke on her Telegram channel about the presentation of a comprehensive development project for the former Makhachkala hippodrome.

"This isn't comprehensive development at all, but rather just regular, dense housing development without schools, kindergartens, clinics, or key infrastructure. The traffic issue hasn't been resolved; the cars of residents of the new residential complex will significantly contribute to the traffic jams on the old Makhachkala-Kaspiysk highway." - says Madina Ibragimova.

15:45 28.01.2023

Journalists consider Makhachkala residents' gain from the deprivatization of Amirov's property negligible

The transfer of public ownership of the utilities seized from former mayor Said Amirov will not affect the quality of services to Makhachkala residents, as the dilapidated electrical and water networks need modernization, Dagestani journalists noted.

At a meeting of the republic's Ministry of Construction, another "largest integrated territorial development project in Russia" – "Cote d'Azur" – was announced. In Makhachkala. The project envisions a comprehensive residential development with the simultaneous creation of social and engineering infrastructure on a 231-hectare site. It is reported that the transfer of authority to manage federal land to the republic has been resolved for the implementation of this project.

"Azure Coast" is known as one of the ambitious projects of the former mayor of Makhachkala, Said Amirov, who was sentenced to life imprisonment.

In 2005, Makhachkala's company, Makhachkala Seaside, initiated the project to build a satellite town of Makhachkala, "Azure Coast," on the Caspian coast, according to Said Amirov's biographical note.

In September 2022, the Kirov District Court of Saratov, in the first instance, upheld the Russian Prosecutor General's Office's claim to seize the property of relatives of former Makhachkala Mayor Said Amirov and associates for state use. The value of the property seized in favor of the state exceeds five billion rubles; this includes 356 real estate properties, including 173 land plots.

According to the court, it was Said Amirov "who initiated and beneficiated the privatization of the aforementioned joint-stock companies and their transfer to private ownership." According to the court, Amirov, through trusted individuals—relatives and affiliates—indirectly controlled, among other things, the Makhachkala Vzmorye company.