Bucharest mayor Sorin Oprescu recently said that even though the expertise of the building rented by the City Hall was completed, the owner - Apatel Properties, doesn't want to sell the building, nor to extend the lease agreement.

“The expertise of the building made by Colliers was completed. A value of EUR 13.5 million was discussed. The owner left for a while and then returned, and said they will not sign any contract, neither for rental nor for sale. We are in a stage in which we are able to sue the owner,” said Oprescu, quoted by Wall-street.ro.

In late-January this year, the General Council of Bucharest approved extending the lease contract until October 1, 2014.

The mayor said in January that the building owner was notified that the municipality wants to buy the property and a negotiation committee was set up. After all the steps would have been completed, the negotiated price should have been presented to the general counselors.

The City Hall signed the lease contract for the building located on Splaiul Independentei in Bucharest in 2009.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com