Steven N.
Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony pushed back on a news item published in Index.hu yesterday that claimed the municipality would be selling City Hall.
“I’ve read Index today for the last time,” wrote the Mayor on Facebook.
Karácsony stated that the article was published by Index early in the morning before receiving a response from the municipality about the story. The Mayor also claimed that the “spirit of fake news” has reached the popular news portal.
“The Budapest City Council has recently made a number of decisions regarding the City Hall complex, such as the renovation of the Merlin Theater building and the announcement of a design tender for City Hall Park. No decision has been made on the sale of the property, and the City Council is not looking for anyone to buy it,” wrote Mayor Karácsony.
Deputy Mayor Kiss Ambrus confirmed to Telex that the Budapest City Council is planning to stick with the current City Hall, a former hospital building for invalids.
According to Deputy Mayor Kiss, there are currently three projects underway in the building complex: the reopening of the Merlin Theater, reconstruction work in City Hall Park, and the construction of exhibition rooms for the Budapest Gallery on the ground floor of City Hall.
[Telex]
