Dust and noise: Residents of Yerevan's Arghishti Street alarmed by another construction project

Residents of Yerevan's Arghishti Street are sounding the alarm that despite already living in an overcrowded neighborhood of densely packed high-rises, yet another construction project has begun in their immediate vicinity.

One resident wrote to Panorama.am, expressing frustration that the construction has created unbearable living conditions.

“A new building is going up right next to the recently built ones. On a tiny plot of land by the cliff, between this building and those at 7/6 Arghishti Street, the Argishti Suites and Residence hotels are under construction. It’s simply outrageous. Our home is less than 200 meters from the construction site. From 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. there’s constant drilling, pounding and dust. We can’t open our windows, we’re suffocating in dust. The Municipality insists the project has proper permits, but what will happen to our homes in the event of an earthquake?” reads the letter.

This is not the first complaint raised about construction in the area, and residents say their concerns are repeatedly ignored.

Panorama.am Editor-in-Chief Anahit Voskanyan also publicly addressed the matter, addressing questions to the Yerevan Municipality and Mayor Tigran Avinyan:

1. Why was it deemed necessary to add yet another high-rise to an already overcrowded cluster, blocking natural light for existing apartments?

2. Which construction company is implementing this project and on what grounds was it selected?

3. For months, residents have reported construction noise lasting 8-9 hours daily, disrupting family life, children’s rest and students’ studies. “Perhaps our voices are drowned out by the machinery?” she asked.

4. The building is rising near a ravine, where excavation work shakes nearby apartments. Where are the geological and seismic assessments proving the safety of the project?

5. Finally, she urged the municipality to halt the construction, which she described as “illegal and harmful to the health of hundreds of people”.

Voskanyan also shared a video where the roar of construction machinery could be clearly heard.