A final adieu

By Fatemah Farag

Covering 31,000 square metres of prime real estate directly overlooking the Mediterranean sea front, the property was sold by the Egyptian General Organisation for Tourism and Hotels [EGOTH] for LE250 million to two Egyptian and Arab investors and a third partner, banking sources said.

According to an official at the Alexandria governorate, "the decision to go with the sale came from the cabinet's privatisation committee," chaired by Prime Minister Kamal El-Ganzouri. "We were given an order to issue a demolition permit and a new construction permit will follow," the official said.

Considering the controversy that broke out in 1988 when billionaire Mohamed El-Fayed made a bid to buy the hotel, the sale went smoothly. Ten years ago Fouad Sultan, minister of tourism at the time, was accused of attempting to sell Egypt's heritage.

Inaugurated by Khedive Tewfik in 1887, the hotel was named after a small chapel dedicated to the San Stefano. Construction of the original structure, which was subsequently modified and remodelled, was funded by the railway company. The chapel, built in 1863, was pulled down some 10 years ago.

The Ramleh district, which was relatively undeveloped, was at the time attracting the attention of the wealthy, who had decided it was the "in" spot for the construction of villas, said Adel Abu-Zahra, secretary-general of the Friends of the Environment, an Alexandria-based non-governmental organisation. "The original San Stefano was quite something. People used to go there to catch a glimpse of the aristocracy attired in the latest fashions and once a week a symphony orchestra of 100 musicians played."

The hotel was remodelled in the early 1950's. "That is when the grand old structure was damaged and converted into the ugly cement buildings that has dominated the Corniche all these years," Abu-Zahra said ruefully.

The hotel lost its private beach, high-rise buildings hemmed it in on all sides, management became increasingly incompetent. Almost inevitably the hotel acquired a reputation that matched its looks.

"I would never have stayed there," said a middle-aged train passenger. "One would be afraid to go to sleep, lest the cockroaches attack." As a result, the hotel was closed down in 1993.

Governorate officials were eager to play down the importance of the demolition. "It had no architectural value and was infested with rats," said the Alexandria governorate official. Of course, some important people stayed there. For example, in the late 1970's, President Anwar El-Sadat met with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin there. This is why there is a stipulation in the sale contract that the new owners do not change the name. I think that it is an improvement that in place of that ugly building, we will have a new hotel and an administrative building."

Yet not everyone agrees. "There is going to be an architectural and environmental disaster," said Abu-Zahra. "Hotel occupancy in Alexandria does not exceed 30 per cent for nine months of the year, yet the investors are planning a 200-room hotel in front as well as a 1,200-unit mall in the garden grounds."

Environmentalists point out the obvious strain such a project will put on the city's infrastructure. In fact, a small grocery store in the vicinity causes major traffic jams when catering to a few customers. "This is a clear violation of the environment law as well as construction regulations which stipulate a maximum height of 36 metres, although this will rise to 270 metres," Abu Zahra said. He is planning legal action against the investors who bought the property as well as others, building a similarly tall structure in the Mustafa Kamel district.

But governorate officials told Al Ahram Weekly that the planned building does not violate construction regulations. "There are no clear regulations for building on the Corniche. This is governed by investment policy," an official said.

According to Abu-Zahra, however, investment considerations should not be allowed to take precedence over aesthetic and ecological factors. "The entire Corniche is full of construction violations such as the Cotton Palace, a high-rise next to the French Consulate. These violations ruin the remaining vestiges of the cosmopolitan character of the city," Abu-Zahra said.

Worries extend to other buildings as well. For example, the palace of Aziza Fahmi, which is also owned by EGOTH, has stood on the Corniche in majestic shambles for years, its interior being slowly gutted.

But as the conflict between profit and conservation continues with no end in sight, one thing looks certain -- it is time to bid the San Stefano a final adieu.