The planned World Trade Center Yerevan complex on the site of Yerevan’s former Central Post Office is raising concerns over the future of the historic Kond tunnels and the impact of large-scale construction on one of the city’s oldest areas.
The roughly $300 million project is being developed through a public-private partnership. According to published ownership figures, Renshin holds a 56% stake in the project company, HayPost holds 25%, and Pashinyan’s government holds 19%.
The Kond tunnels are two historic underground passages beneath Kond, one of Yerevan’s oldest surviving neighborhoods, located near the city center. The two parallel tunnels, each about 460 meters long, run from the area of the former Central Post Office toward the Hrazdan Gorge, creating a direct connection between central Yerevan and the gorge below.
Their construction was rooted in an urban planning concept associated with architect Alexander Tamanyan, who envisioned improving access between the city center and the Hrazdan Gorge as part of Yerevan’s broader development. Built during the Soviet period and already in existence by the early 1950s, the tunnels have served different purposes over the decades.
One was eventually closed due to its deteriorating condition, while the other remains open as a pedestrian passage connecting Diana Abgar Park with the Hrazdan Gorge and the Children’s Railway area. The tunnels have also developed a cultural identity through graffiti, events and proposals to transform the space into an art and public venue.
Preparatory work has now begun on Saryan Street ahead of the demolition of the former HayPost headquarters. The planned multifunctional complex could include a tower of roughly 50 floors, according to information published about the development.
The project could also significantly alter the function of the Kond tunnels. Published information indicates that they may be adapted for parking use, raising questions over their preservation, historical character and structural integrity, particularly given the deteriorated condition that has already forced the closure of one tunnel.
The concerns extend beyond the tunnels themselves. Architects have criticized plans to demolish the former Central Post Office and questioned how a high-rise development of this scale could affect Kond, the Hrazdan Gorge and Yerevan’s central skyline.
Despite the scale of the project, the final design of the complex and detailed plans for the Kond tunnels have not yet been fully presented to the public, leaving unresolved questions over whether the tunnels will be preserved in their current form and how their historical and public function will be protected.
