Culture, Lithuania, Real Estate

"The process which lasted over two years has finished finally. We are glad that green lights have been set to this project and we will be able to continue work and implement the promise to install a contemporary cinema theater and to tidy the environment given to Vilnius residents," Robertas Staskevicius, real estate development director of M2 Invest, investor into Rojaus Apartamentai, says.

According to him, an infrastructure agreement, consolidating the commitment to erect a cinema theater with two cinema halls, declared by the investors, with Vilnius Municipality has been prepared. By this agreement, Rojaus Apartamentai undertakes a commitment to maintain cinema halls for 25 years and the failure to do so will cost the company 100,000 litas (29,008 euros) per year. However, the members of the movement "For Lithuania without Quotation-marks" claim that businessmen have a commitment to maintain the cinema halls for five years only. The only sanction in case they do not implement cinema theater activities is a fine of 1,000 litas () per month, i.e. having paid a fine of 60,000 litas (), the development company will be able to abandon all commitments and close the cinema halls. Moreover, according to the protectors of the public interest, the cinema halls are not foreseen in the conditions of the detailed plan: it is permitted only to raise a residential building with commerce premised on the ground floor, writes ELTA.

Meanwhile, the company Rojaus Apartamentai claims that it is actively working with film art professionals: it is cooperating with director Arunas Matelis and the creative group Nominum, the Lithuanian Cinematographers Union; the project is actively supported by Nordic Countries Cinema Forum Scanorama and its director Graþina Arlickaite.