The owners of 42 shops in the Piazza Arada building were verbally ordered to vacate their stores on Saturday and Sunday. The order was given by the city administration, but no written notice was provided.
The shopkeepers were informed of the order on August 19, 2023, and have been protesting the decision ever since. They argue that they have been given no alternative place to go and that the demolition of their shops is unnecessary.
On August 12, 2023, city officials went to each of the shops and told the owners to leave over the weekend. The shopkeepers allege that they were deliberately given the order on a Friday so that they would not have time to complain to other government offices.
Some of the shopkeepers are also suspicious of the real reason for the demolition. They believe that the city administration may not actually be planning to tear down the shops, but instead wants to give them to other businesses.
The shopkeepers are vowing to continue to fight the demolition order. They have filed a lawsuit against the city administration and are seeking an injunction to prevent the demolition.
The case is still pending, but the shopkeepers are hopeful that they will be able to save their businesses.
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The government has already begun demolishing the building, despite the legal challenges. This is not the first time that the city administration has used the weekend to demolish a historic building.The shopkeepers and other concerned citizens are calling on the city administration to stop the demolition of the Arada building. They argue that the building is an important part of the city’s history and should be preserved.
