$2bn Trump Tower project unveiled in Georgia amid political debate

American magazine Newsweek has published the first renderings of a planned Trump Tower project in Tbilisi, revealing a 70-storey skyscraper set to dominate the Georgian capital’s skyline with the name of US President Donald Trump displayed in large gold letters at the top.

The project is estimated to cost around $2 billion. According to the published details, the complex will consist of six buildings, with the central tower expected to rise to 259 metres, making it the tallest building in Georgia. The development is expected to include luxury apartments, hotel infrastructure, shops, restaurants and entertainment facilities, News.Az reports, citing News Georgia.

The Trump Organization plans to implement the project in partnership with several Georgian and international companies. Among them are Archi Group, founded by former Georgian Dream MP Ilia Tsulaia, and Biograpi Living, which is part of the Wissol Group owned by the Pkhakadze brothers. The New York-based Sapir Organization, headed by Alex Sapir, whose family originates from Georgia, is also involved in the project.

The exact construction site has not been officially disclosed, but Georgian media reports have linked the development to the area of the former hippodrome near Central Park. According to local reports, the land formally remains under the ownership of the Cartu Foundation established by Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili. The development company Central Park Avenue, whose general director is Vasil Phakadze of Biograpi Living, reportedly obtained rights for residential construction on the site in 2023.

The project has already sparked political controversy in Georgia.

Lasha Parulava, a member of the opposition United National Movement party, argued that the initiative does not represent genuine foreign investment but rather the purchase of a global brand franchise.

“A group of local mini-oligarchs is building a skyscraper with its own money under a franchise model. Tbilisi will only get the words ‘Trump Tower’ written on the building,” he said.

Former National Bank head Roman Gotsiridze claimed that Bidzina Ivanishvili, who remains under US sanctions, was attempting to “buy influence with Trump” through the project.

Georgian officials, however, presented the development in a different light. Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili described the participation of the Trump Organization as a “sign of confidence” in Georgia, while Tamar Chiburdanidze of the People’s Power movement called it evidence of “positive political relations and the beginning of new strategic relations” between Georgia and the United States.

The announcement comes amid attempts by the ruling Georgian Dream party to repair relations with Washington following a sharp deterioration in ties during 2024–2025. Former US President Joe Biden’s administration imposed sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili over alleged links to Russia, human rights concerns and accusations of undermining democracy in Georgia. Following Donald Trump’s return to the White House, that policy has reportedly remained unchanged.

This is not the first attempt to bring the Trump brand to Georgia. In 2012, the Trump Organization announced plans to construct a skyscraper in Batumi. The project was presented at the time by then-President Mikheil Saakashvili and Donald Trump, with Silk Road Group overseeing implementation.

However, the agreement was terminated in January 2017. Bidzina Ivanishvili later claimed that Trump had “made no investments in Georgia”, describing the Batumi project as a “trick” by Saakashvili.

News.Az