In July 2002, former chess player Tamaz Giorgadze planned to build a shopping center on Vazha-Pshavela Avenue, across from the “Abkhazia” hotel, between residential buildings. Residents strongly opposed the project, arguing that such large-scale construction so close to their homes would leave them with no open space. They began protesting against the development, initially appealing to the Vake-Saburtalo district court. When legal action brought no results, residents escalated their protest by blocking the street.

Following the demonstration, the Vake-Saburtalo district administration surprisingly sided with the residents and suspended construction. Although Giorgadze had received all necessary permits from City Hall, district architects discovered violations in the approved project, including oversized dimensions that did not comply with architectural standards. “The project violates size regulations and doesn’t meet architectural norms. That is why the construction was suspended,” district chief architect Tamaz Murvanidze told the newspaper 24 Saati.

The case went back to the Vake-Saburtalo court. This time, according to Murvanidze, the court was expected to be more objective and keep the suspension in place until Giorgadze corrected the project flaws. For now, the residents had won a small victory, though the paper noted that nothing was excluded in the future.