The demolition of a section of the Maxi Sopot shopping center near the Primorskaya metro station in St. Petersburg has been temporarily suspended following a court order. The Arbitration Court of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region issued the ruling on July 29, prohibiting city authorities from taking any action to dismantle the shopping pavilion in the Vasileostrovsky district.

The decision came after the former owner requested interim measures, leading the court to impose a ban on demolition work until the main lawsuit is considered. The Committee for Control over Property (KKI) and its subordinate, the Center for Improving the Efficiency of State Property Use, must await the cancellation of these measures or a final court decision before resuming work.

The KKI acknowledged the “freeze,” stating that the city is obligated to comply with the court’s ban. The dispute centers on a 600-square-meter, four-story section of Maxi Sopot, which officials claim was built in the early 2000s on land leased for a temporary shopping pavilion without permission for permanent construction. According to the KKI, this section became integrated into the larger shopping center.

The demolition had commenced on July 23, targeting only the disputed section and not the entire shopping center complex. The owner of Maxi Sopot, Yakov Perkal-Provorny, has stated his intention to appeal the demolition in court. He argues that the structure is in fact permanent and that its demolition without a proper plan could endanger the entire shopping center, an adjacent residential building, and the metro lobby.

The KKI maintains that because the structure is classified as temporary, a demolition project is unnecessary. The department believes it has experience in safely dismantling such structures in phases. Following the demolition, the Vasileostrovsky district administration intends to improve the area, considering the needs of local residents.