House for Diplomats
04.03.2014
The American consulate is planning to construct a new building in the center of St. Petersburg. A memorandum on mutual understanding between the Smolny (St. Petersburg Administration) and the US government will be signed for this purpose.
The Smolny and the US government are planning to sign a memorandum on mutual understanding regarding the construction of a new building for the American consulate in St. Petersburg. Governor Georgy Poltavchenko has signed the corresponding directive. Since 1973, the US consulate in St. Petersburg has occupied building 15 on Furshtatskaya street. But during the past ten years it has been searching for a lot in the city center to construct a new building.
According to Alexander Prohorenko, the chairman of the Smolny Committee for External Affairs, the consulate is wishing to construct a building that will meet international safety standards. There is only one example of constructing a special building for the consulate. Such a building was constructed for the consulate of Finland.
The possible location of the new consulate building is not revealed. But insiders in the market have reported that the US consulate representatives were negotiating the purchase of a quarter 2.7 ha in area close to the Chernyshevsky garden. That lot is owned by ZAO “Evgenievskaya 2”. Before the crisis, the company was a branch of the “BFA-Development” holding company. And its management announced their plans to invest up to USD 100 million into the construction of 50000 square meters of elite housing. But the project was not implemented. According to experts, now the market price of this lot amounts to 1.5 billion rubles.
Market participants agree that there is a need for a new building for the American consulate. “It would make sense. In the future, we could consolidate cultural and trade companies present in the city in that new building, which would help to save money on leasing of premises,’ Knight Frank SPb representatives comment. And according to Natalia Borodina, the leading expert at the “Neva” tour operator, the consulate needs a waiting room for its visitors. “Sometimes you have to wait for hours in queues to apply for a visa, both in hot and freezing weather conditions. That is the problem of most consulates in the city,” she concluded.
