TBILISI, July 30 – Hundreds of landowners near Rustavi are refusing to sell property earmarked for a planned university city, saying the government’s compensation offer is far below local market prices.
The disputed land lies beside the Tbilisi-Rustavi highway, between Rustavi’s 21st microdistrict and the road toward Gachiani. The government plans to build a large student complex there with housing, recreation areas, libraries and other facilities.
One owner, Dali Zhamerashvili, told BusinessPressNews (BPN) that the Municipal Development Fund began contacting landowners in February and offered 59 GEL per square meter.
She said families with standard 900-square-meter plots were being offered 53,100 GEL, while nearby land was being advertised for between USD 150 and USD 250 per square meter.
Zhamerashvili said owners had formed an initiative group to oppose the sales. She claimed that around 600 plots had been sold, while close to 3,000 families were refusing to give up their land.
According to her, officials told some owners that their property could eventually be taken through compulsory purchase if they refused to sell voluntarily. She described the approach as intimidation.
The claims cannot be independently confirmed by DFWatch, and BNP’s report did not include a response from the Municipal Development Fund or other government bodies.
Zhamerashvili also said many of the plots belong to Georgians living abroad who hope to build private homes on the land. She called on the government to move the university project to another location rather than proceed toward expropriation.
The plan dates back to December 2025, when Education Minister Givi Mikanadze announced that university cities would be built near Rustavi and Kutaisi. The proposed campuses are expected to include student accommodation and public facilities.
In February 2026, the government instructed the Municipal Development Fund to arrange design, construction and supervision work for the two projects.
The news agency reported that the Rustavi project covers 50,000 hectares and affects thousands of plots, although the figures and boundaries remain disputed by local land owners.
