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2009 UPDATE After several years of questionable political and juridical entanglements and a final, frenzied month spent to work out chaotic procedures, on June 5th, 2009, Drita Ivanaj, legal heir of the Ivanaj properties in Tirana, was finally able to take physical possession of her ex-residence and land. She had obtained title to this legacy in 1995, but could not use it until the military unit that occupied it for decades, free of charge, relinquished it.
There was no time for reflection or emotion when this moment came about, as swift actions were needed to step into the messy site, depleted of all amenities and in an inconceivable condition, which needed to be appraised and secured. An immediate intervention was a must for the proper disposition of all the junk and clutter that was abandoned inside and outside of the various buildings. During the summer work began to assess basic water and electrical needs, now unavailable, and to plan what, if any portion of the original residence could be put to immediate use by the Ivanaj Foundation Institute.
A short term solution is planned and is being worked upon to make serviceable a wing of the old house that could become functional as a base office by the spring of 2010. These plans are now being pursued in connection with a new fundraising project, being developed with the help of international volunteers, who are willing to dedicate time and effort in searching for donors, large and small, who can provide groundwork funding to establish a basic site for an operative Institute.
In addition to the above, the privatization process of the extra buildings erected by the state on the Ivanaj land in the 1970’s, and which Drita Ivanaj is entitled to, is ongoing, and, hopefully, should be successfully concluded in the near future. After the establishment of a base office and privatization is complete, then the long term plans for new construction and brand new quarters for the Ivanaj Foundation Institute can be resumed and could become a reality in the next couple of years. In the meantime, the renovated quarters in the old house’s wing will be able to house a small staff that could work on developing activities and steps to bring to fruition appropriate educational and cultural programs and projects. BACKGROUND The Ivanaj properties were privatized at the end of 1995 both in Tirana and in Durres.
Plans for the best use of the parcel of estate in Durres, which consists of 400 (20 x 20) square meters of beach that borders the public ocean front in that city, have not yet been formulated, but this property is free and clear, even of the notorious and infamous 'bunkers', built by the communist regime throughout the country and along its entire coast.
The properties in Tirana, slated to be used by the Albanian Institute, consist of two (2) parcels of land in the southwest section of the city (known as "Tirana e Re"), near the Presidential offices and the University of Tirana. They are adjacent to one another, 3 small blocks away from the main thoroughfare that runs across the city ("Deshmoret e Kombit" Blvd), at the corner of Rruga Vaso Pasha and Rruga Perlat Rexhepi, and within walking distance of the Great National Park and the Lake.
On the front piece of land sits the original Ivanaj home, consisting of 14 rooms that was built in 1936-37. During World War II it was enlarged by the then occupying forces, and, in the past 20 years, a 2 story L-shaped annex was added by the Albanian government to house a gym and a training center for military personnel currently still using these premises.
The second parcel of land, in the rear of the above residence, is free and available for new construction. It is still surrounded by the original brick wall that defined the property when it was purchased by the Ivanaj brothfers in the early 1930's.
In front of the main entrance to the building, part of the original rose garden has survived the past seven decades; however, although the property is located in a prime real estate area of the capital, and it is considered by many local residents as still one of the best old buildings in town, the premises are in very poor conditions and need to be replaced by more modern facilities.
The proceedings regarding the evacuation of this property were impeded for a long time, first by the unfortunately chaotic and unsettling situation in the country from 1997 on, and later also by the crises involving Kosova that followed during 1998 and 1999. Notwithstanding these delays, compounded by the lack of procedures, bureaucracy, and various governmental reorganizations, initial plans were outlined by our Foundation for the eventual renovation of the real estate, as described in the Plans and Needs section of this web site.
Now, as stability is finally setting in Albania, and we are making progress in our proceedings to obtain physical possession of the properties, our plans are also continuously updated. However, although costs in Albania are not as yet high as in the U.S., large amounts of money will be needed for setting up the “M. & M. Ivanaj Foundation Institute”, its offices, equipment, furnishings, and maintenance. While the property development is taking place, the fundraising activities toward this end will continue.
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