Reborn as a Noble's Son-Chapter 825 - 781 Demolition as Priority

Chapter 825: Chapter 781: Demolition as Priority

Chapter 825 -781: Demolition as Priority

Lu Chengdong was somewhat excited at this moment, for the Tianfu City shantytown renovation plan had been circling in his mind ever since he took office. Previously, however, he had not been able to secure the support of the provincial party committee and the provincial government. Such a large-scale renovation plan would be impossible to achieve with Tianfu City’s resources alone without the support of higher levels.

But now, Nie Zhenbang’s attitude gave Lu Chengdong hope, and truly he lived up to his reputation. Working under Governor Nie was indeed comfortable, for the governor’s magnanimity and vision were something Lu had never seen before.

Seeing the smile on Nie Zhenbang’s face, Lu Chengdong suppressed the joy in his heart, organized his thoughts, and nodded, “Governor, our consideration for the entire shantytown renovation is divided into three aspects. The first aspect is the renovation of municipal transportation and public facilities. In this regard, the city intends to specifically hire well-known domestic and international urban planning and design experts and teams. While fully considering the current situation, we also want to reserve enough space for the future development of twenty or even thirty years, or perhaps even longer, to avoid the situation that many domestic areas are experiencing, where their reconstructed facilities become outdated in just two or three years. In the layout planning of the roads, ensure that both the surface transportation network and the underground urban rail traffic are fully considered. In terms of water, electricity, gas, network communications, and other public facilities, as well as the urban drainage system, we aim to do it once and for all, ensuring it remains up-to-date for thirty years or forever.”

“The second aspect is the planning of the business district, adhering to the principle of sustainable development and striving for excellence. In choosing and introducing investors, we aim to attract top domestic and world-renowned companies to the CBD project area. Within three to five years, we plan to build the Tianfu City CBD project into a domestic first-class business center and the commercial core of the Southwest Region.”

“The third aspect is the issue of cultural relics, heritage, and precious ancient trees, following strictly the central government’s guidance on sustainable development strategies. We will perform authentic restorations and enhancements based on the existing foundation, fully considering the current terrain and location, and protect the cultural heritage and connotations of Tianfu City to the greatest extent.”

Listening to Lu Chengdong’s words, Nie Zhenbang also nodded involuntarily. Lu Chengdong’s planning proposal had indeed struck a chord with him. Nowadays, in the construction process of many domestic areas, numerous problems had arisen. A road built less than two years ago would become unusable due to increased traffic flow and would need to be widened and rebuilt. It seemed that dividing the steps into two appeared to be a sage approach at first glance, but in reality, although capital expenditure was less initially, the true cost turned out to be much higher in the end. The price of demolition two years ago was naturally vastly different from the price two years later.

Moreover, the investment attraction strategy in the CBD Business Area had a clear positioning. The construction of a CBD was not something that could be achieved just by claiming it; it carried an image and status of a city both domestically and internationally. It wasn’t something that could be accomplished merely with money. The coal bosses in Jinmei Province were wealthy, but for projects like the CBD, companies without connections or prestige could not attract the “golden phoenix.”

Last but not least, Lu Chengdong’s plan for the protection of ancient trees and antiquities also brought much relief to Nie Zhenbang. In terms of cultural relic protection, many places domestically were in complete disarray.

Centuries-old city walls and ancient buildings were destroyed without any consideration during the process of urbanization and transformation—either demolished and rebuilt elsewhere or completely erased from the annals of history.

To such behavior, Nie Zhenbang was extremely averse. Huaxia was called an Ancient Country because of its profound cultural heritage and accumulation. Whether it was direct obliteration or reconstruction elsewhere, both were irresponsible acts toward the nation and future generations.

After relocation, although the same old bricks and tiles were used and the construction techniques tried to emulate the originals, what significance did it hold? None. History valued not the skyscrapers or the CBDs, but rather these often-overlooked elements.

After pausing for a moment, Nie Zhenbang also nodded and said, “Mayor Lu Chengdong, to be honest, I am quite pleased after hearing your report. Your shantytown renovation plan is exceptionally meticulous and thorough; it takes all aspects into consideration. I have a supportive stance on it.”

“Regarding expropriation and demolition, do you have any thoughts? An area of eight square kilometers involves a significant number of households to be demolished. This should be in your consideration as well. How to coordinate the relationships with these households is key to the success of the shantytown renovation. If this aspect is not well managed, a good deed might turn into a disaster. Do you understand?” Nie Zhenbang finished, looking up at Lu Chengdong.

These words made Lu Chengdong pause and then nod, “Governor, I am aware that once the shantytown renovation plan is made public, the cost of demolition alone would be sufficient to run into tens of billions. Once the work starts, it’s like an arrow shot out with no possibility of return. Any obstacles that arise mid-way would have an immeasurable impact on the entire work.”

This was not an exaggeration nor a shot in the dark. With such a large area of demolition and reconstruction, some would be resettled on-site, but many would be relocated elsewhere. This involved setting the expropriation and compensation standards, a complex and detailed process. For on-site resettlement, how would it be managed? How much area would be exchanged for a square meter, and how much compensation would be paid? For off-site demolition, what would be the compensation price per square meter? Whether the official city government manages the demolition or whether the companies themselves carry out the expropriation and demolition, these are all issues that need to be carefully considered.

Moreover, as the saying goes, the same rice raises a hundred different people. If there are a few holdouts among them, the entire CBD Business Area will end up being a messy mishmash, which would spell failure.

Upon hearing these words, Lu Chengdong also responded with a smile, “Governor, regarding the specific standards for demolition compensation and the resettlement plan, the city does not have a clear proposal yet. Now, some comrades propose that, besides municipal engineering and traffic redevelopment and expansion, all commercial land requisitions should be negotiated by the companies themselves for demolition and resettlement. This could also save a lot of work for the city. Governor, you have extensive experience in this area, and in your time working in Pear State, Liangxi, and Wanghai City, you never encountered any disputes over demolition. We need your guidance on this matter.”

As soon as Nie Zhenbang heard this, he immediately frowned. Indeed, many cities now adopt the practice of leaving demolition concerns to commercial companies.

However, reality has proven that this method of demolition is very insecure. Often, the biggest problems arise with this demolition model.

For any commercial company, no matter the work, it is a commercial act, and one principle is paramount, to pursue the highest profit and economic value.

Thus, when it comes to demolition compensation, the principle of a commercial company is always to achieve its goal at the lowest possible cost.

Generally, most commercial companies are outsiders when it comes to demolition and requisitioning, and they rely on local professional demolition firms. But these demolition companies, in their pursuit of profit, are often unscrupulous. In the face of interests, they can even lower the standards for demolition compensation, and this is where conflict arises. The affected residents refuse to move, and incidents of forced and violent demolitions by these companies become rampant.

With this in mind, Nie Zhenbang spoke in a grave tone, “This absolutely will not do. A fundamental principle in demolition is that the government must step in to coordinate the work of demolition and relocation.”

As he uttered these words, Nie Zhenbang’s expression became stern. Demolition, especially when it involves such a large area, must have a unified management, otherwise, sooner or later, there will be significant problems.

After a pause, looking at Lu Chengdong he said, “Mayor Chengdong, I think for the entire shantytown transformation plan, the city needs to establish a dedicated command center and leadership team. Beneath the command center, there should be a special team for demolition and relocation work, which together with the city’s Demolition Office and the demolition officers of the relevant districts, will form a specialized demolition squad. We must ensure the smooth and successful completion of the demolition work.”

Lu Chengdong nodded, fully convinced. This visit was not just about soliciting funds and policies; having listened to Governor Nie’s speech, Lu Chengdong felt like he had a revelation that cleared his mind. It was genuine expertise. Regarding this, Lu Chengdong had no objections and promptly said, “Governor, rest assured. With your guidance, I also feel enlightened. I will definitely follow your instructions, ensuring preparations for the shantytown’s demolition and relocation work are made well in advance.”

Nie Zhenbang nodded, noting the great benefit of economically developed cities. Such an extensive shantytown transformation in Tianfu City requires pre-emptive demolition work, and the funds advanced for this purpose are far from a small amount. In contrast, a poor city like Dizhou would find such implementation impossible and could only sigh in longing.

At that moment, Nie Zhenbang also stood up and said, “Mayor Chengdong, work diligently and carefully, with caution and prudence. You must pay close attention to this matter and guard against complacency. When the foundation for the shantytown transformation is laid, I will certainly be there in person to congratulate you.”

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As his words concluded, there was a knock at the door. Li Jupeng came in, speaking softly, “Governor, Comrades Xu Aiguo and Huang Zhenqiu from Changhong City, along with leaders from several other cities, are waiting outside.” (