Passing through the bustling Gouraud or Pasteur Street in the Gemmayze neighborhood of East Beirut, one cannot help but notice the hive of activity in what was formerly one of the area’s biggest car parks. The site is walled off from the public but, peeking through the gate as a dump truck leaves full of dirt, the curious onlooker can see bulldozers and construction workers in early stages of excavation of what is slated to be one of the largest residential developments in the area. Dubbed “Gemmayze Village,” work on the 7,000 square meter gated residential community was started last October by Conseil et Gestion Immobiliere (CGI), the real estate arm of Audi Saradar Group. Scheduled for completion by 2014 or 2015, the 37-floor tower will be surrounded by gardens and five housing blocks ranging from three to 10 floors each. Real estate developments in Beirut proclaiming to set a
