Paintings of Mulatu Astatke by local artists decorate the gallery at soon to be demolished Fendika Cultural Centre around the Casanchis area. The cultural centre is being demolished as part of land allotments by the city administration last year to 59 prospective investors with the 400sqm on which Fendika rests being a small part. With land being the property of the state in Ethiopia, only two mechanisms are afforded for its transfer to private citizens; allotments and lease auctions. The return of land lease auctions this year after four years has set records with losing bids of 695,000 Br for a single square meter. Over 20,000 bidders participated in the auctions with the biggest winning bid being a 495,000 Br by local entrepreneur Ibrahim Busser.
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