Press Release: 14.12.2007
RussianLand participating in tender for Apraksin Dvor (St. Petersburg)
In September, 2007 the government of St.Petersburg announced a tender for the redevelopment of the Apraksin Dvor quarter. The site occupies 14 ha of land in the historical centre of St.Petersburg. Apraksin Dvor is over 250 years old and is a cultural heritage site protected by UNESCO. Accordingly all of the 62 buildings currently located on the site need to be preserved and renovated, lost buildings will to be recreated. Even the original coble stone pavement will need to be preserved in its original state and the missing parts will need to be restored. The tender required a new developer to create a multifunctional complex with a total amount of investment no less than US$400 million. Also, the winner’s responsibility will be to resolve all the issues related to the relocation of current occupants.
Taking into consideration the complexity of the project and the short amount of time provided to complete the concept, RussianLand invited the world-famous architect Lord Norman Foster and his company, Foster & Partners, to create a new concept for the site, adapting it for a modern use whilst preserving its important heritage.
RussianLand is participating in the tender through its newly created company OOO “Renaissance Apraksin Dvor”. Ruric AB, currently the sites largest property owner, is a minority partner in the company.
In less than two months a concept for a 400,000 sqm multifunctional complex with over 2,000 parking spaces was created. On December 10, 2007 the tender documentation was submitted to the tender committee. The second competitor in the tender is Glavstroy-SpB. The concept proposals will be shown to the public on December 17 and the winner will be announced on January 25, 2008.