BY: Ledina Alolli / KORÇA AT RISK – The city's identity is collapsing under construction permits!

Dear citizens, friends of Korça, and citizens sensitive to heritage and the law,

On February 27, 2025, on the agenda of the National Territorial Council, a troubling item has been included that has alarmed all those who love the city of Korça: a construction permit for a residential building with 6 to 8 floors above ground and 1–2 underground levels, on “Republika” Boulevard, the heart of the city of Korça — a historic area, legally protected as a national treasure.

The area where this intervention is planned is part of unit KO/UB466, declared by Decision of the Council of Ministers no. 207, dated 15.03.2017, as part of the Cultural and Natural Heritage of the city of Korça, where the maximum permitted construction height is only 10 meters. Today, with no transparency, no public communication, and a total lack of consultation with the community and heritage experts, a construction permit is being discussed at high levels — one that violates the law, the urban plan, and the city’s identity.

This is not simply a construction project, but a threat to the urban continuity, the characteristic architecture, and the historic soul of Korça.

We demand today, before it is too late, an immediate clarification from the Municipality of Korça on its stance regarding this permit and whether it has given institutional consent for this construction. We also request a public response from the Ministry of Culture and the Institute of Cultural Monuments, as the authorities responsible for protecting our historic areas. We demand full transparency from the NTC on the decision-making process, the criteria used, and compliance with the existing legal framework. Accountability must also be taken by any institution that may have given approvals in violation of the Council of Ministers’ decision and urban planning regulations. We are not asking for mercy — we are asking for respect for the law and dignity for our city.

Korça is not a free ground for construction interests. Korça is national heritage, it is a shared treasure, and every intervention must be transparent, legal, and in the interest of the community.

If this permit is approved, a principle that has been protected for over 30 years — through effort, struggle, and love for our city — will be destroyed.

Now is the time to raise our voices, before tomorrow is too late.

“KORÇA BOOM”