Büyükakın: “A park will be built in place of the demolished tax office”

Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tahir Büyükakın announced that the area where the demolished tax office was located will not be turned into a parking lot, but will be used as a park, and also stated that Sörler School will be restored.
Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tahir Büyükakın explained the decision regarding the vacant area left by the old tax office that was demolished in front of Sörler School. Reminding that the local shopkeepers had requested a parking lot, Mayor Büyükakın said, ‘At this point, we have decided that this area will be used as an open space rather than a parking lot.’ Büyükakın emphasized that they will make additional parking spaces in the area through expropriation to meet the needs of shopkeepers and citizens.
Büyükakın noted that discussions about the area have continued since the demolition of the building, stating, ‘There were some difficulties in going underground. Due to its historical significance, consultations were held with the Council of Monuments. A project that the Council of Monuments will approve has been prepared. We are considering restoring the historical school and assigning it a cultural function. The Ministry of Culture is also working on using it as a library.’
Mayor Tahir Büyükakın continued his speech as follows:
‘Our colleagues are trying to build the parking lot in another area. Here, we will leave an open space for activities. It will be utilized as a square without incurring high costs. It will become a venue serving the people who come here. We will suspend the zoning change and arrange the open space. This area will bring vitality to the region, it will be used as a square, a tea garden. We will take into account the demands of women. You know, the street below is Cumhuriyet Boulevard. We will plan this area to be a continuation of Cumhuriyet Boulevard.’