Court seizes documents in case of Odesa coastal development

The Kyiv District Court of Odesa has seized documents in a criminal proceeding related to the development of the coastline in Kryzhanivka, where the Columbus residential complex is being built.

The case concerns the possible illegal withdrawal of more than 5 hectares of recreational and forest land from state ownership, Nерухомі reported.

According to the investigation, some of the plots on which the Columbus project is being implemented were previously state-owned and were subsequently registered with the territorial community with subsequent transfer to private entities. In particular, one of the 2.149-hectare plots was leased to Tartus LLC for 49 years based on orders of the Kominternivskyi District State Administration in 2005-2006. In 2021, this land was registered as the communal property of the Fontansky village council, while, according to the investigation, about 1.7 hectares overlap with the forest fund of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine".

The key episode of the case is related to a 3.5-hectare plot transferred to Yugspetsstroy-77 under an agreement dated October 2010, allegedly for landslide and bank protection works. Investigators note that 0.77 hectares of this territory also overlap with the forest fund. It is on this site on the coastal slope that the construction of a tourist complex with apartments and a five-story boathouse for 222 people, which is actually positioned as a residential complex "Columbus", is underway. The construction is being carried out by the service cooperative Yugspetsstroy-77.

On December 2, 2025, law enforcement officers searched the premises of the Fontansky village council. During the investigations, lease agreements, financial documents, land survey reports, and cash flow materials were seized. The court recognized these documents as material evidence and seized them for the purpose of preservation and further forensic examination.

Кирило Бойко