Real estate developer sues Romania at European Court of Human Rights over Cathedral Plaza

The Cathedral Plaza office building developer, Millennium Building Development, has sued Romania at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), after a Romanian court decided to annul the building's construction permits. According to the developer, the court order in Romania violates the European Convention of Human Rights, which protects private property and gives the right to a fair trial. The already erected office building downtown Bucharest, subject to a long lasting dispute between the developer and the adjoining St. Joseph Cathedral, was started in 2006, with permits issues by the Sector 1 City Hall in Bucharest. Work on the building ended in October 2010, despite back and forth law suits between the developer and the Romano – Catholic Archdiocese, the owner of the St. Joseph Cathedral. The 18-storey building is currently empty. Plans for the building were laid out in 1998 for a smaller building, but were later changed. The head of the Romano – Catholic Archdiocese, archbishop Ioan Robu initially approved the building, but later changed his mind. Former Culture Minister Theodor Paleologu said the ministry was to partially blame for the Cathedral Plaza project, as it caved in to the requests of archbishop Ioan Robu. editor@romania-insider.com