MOSCOW, December 8 (Sputnik) — Marat Khusnullin, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Policy and Construction, said that the construction around much of Moscow’s International Business Center Moskva-City is wrapping up, and that the complex is set to be fully completed by 2018.
“We have done a great deal over these past four years,” Khusnullin told Rossiyskaya Gazeta over the weekend following a regular inspection tour of the area.
Khusnullin explained that in the four year period, several new highway connections were made with the center, three metro stations were opened, and 10 above-ground public transport routes were created. Khusnullin noted that these connections have integrated the business center “with virtually the whole of Moscow.”
A metro trip from the center of Moscow to Moskva-City now takes about 12-15 minutes, a connection has been made to the capital’s Victory Park Memorial Complex off Kutuzovsky Prospekt, and Khusnullin noted that by 2016 more connections will link the territory with two more metro lines, the Kalininsko-Solntsevskaya (Yellow) Line to the southeast, and the Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya (Purple) Line to the northwest; the line will also link up with the second ring of the Moscow Metro, which is set to be completed in 2018. An additional road connection running parallel to Kutuzovsky Prospekt will be completed by 2016, shortening the drive between the business district and the MKAD, Moscow’s Ring Road freeway around the city which once demarked its outer border. In addition, the creation and extension of several other roads around the territory is set to improve the traffic situation. Finally, a second station of Moscow’s Little Ring Railway is set to open in the north of the complex, improving the area’s bulk transport infrastructure.
Moskva-City, originally conceptualized as a complex for companies in the financial services industry, akin to London’s 'City of London', has been reconceived more recently as a space for nonfinancial companies, as well as small and mid-sized firms. The territory houses numerous multinational companies operating in Russia, including General Electric, General Motors, Hyundai, IBM, and KPMG. However, in light of ever-growing amounts of available space, as well as the current international financial situation, the variety of businesses the complex hopes to attract has evolved. As Dmitri Granov, head of Moskva-City’s management, said earlier, “if before we were looking for international corporations, today we are looking for Russian companies, and small and medium businesses,” the New York Times noted. Today office space in the City costs about $6.90 per square foot per month, making it an attractive offering compared to an average of $7.75 for high grade office space elsewhere in Moscow.
This year Evolution Tower, which has a unique, DNA-like double helix design, was completed. It was designed by the architecture and design firm RMJM Scotland Limited, which worked in collaboration with Russian architects and builders. The 48-floor, 169,000 square meter project is set to include office space, a shopping center, underground parking, a wedding palace and the Museum of the International Business Center.
At 95 stories, Federation Tower East, set to be completed next year, will become the tallest building in Europe, surpassing the recently-opened Mercury City Tower, also part of the complex.
