Cairo Governor Galal Mostafa Saeed said Sunday that demolishing the Science Building of the American University in Cairo, which overlooks the iconic Tahrir Square, came in response to a plan by the governorate to develop downtown.

The state of the building, which has not been used for years, requires tearing it down in order to allow for the renovations currently taking place in Tahrir, he said, adding that the demolition license was issued upon the approval of a specialized technical committee.

The demolition process has been coordinated with the AUC a few months ago and the area is totally secured, he said.

Moving the resulting rubble will be the responsibility of the university, he said, pointing out that the ground will be turned into green areas and an open site for artistic and cultural activities.

Source: MENA