Construction, Latvia, Legislation, Real Estate, Society

The association's members indicated that the victims' viewpoint must be top priority in all future decisions on the fate of the site of the former Maxima superstore at Priedaines 20. All decisions should be coordinated with the people who live in the vicinity, "who are forced to pass by every day and see it."

The victims' representatives spoke figuratively, pointing out that the 12-story dwelling "is now located in a graveyard", and therefore, theoretically, "any apartment house can be built in any graveyard."

In deciding the site's future, moral and ethical factors should prevail over financial considerations, they underlined.

Locmele indicated that several apartment house owners' unions have petitioned to demolish the remains of the collapsed superstore, as well as the 12-story apartment house next to it. On August 23, "Zolitude 21/11" will coordinate its stance with the apartment house owners' unions for a joint decision.

Olegs Burovs (Honor to Serve Riga), the head of the Riga City Council's Property Department, indicated that the owner of the 12-floor high rise Homburg Zolitude will decide about the fate of this building. The municipality has urged the owner to raze it for moral and ethical reasons.

The tragedy occurred November 21 when the roof caved in suddenly on shoppers in the "Maxima XXX", killing 54.