Less than four years is left for APEC Summit objects construction

VLADIVOSTOK, January 11, vladivostoktimes.com Less than four years is left until APEC Summit that will take place in paramilitary Russkiy Island separated from Vladivostok by the Eastern Bosphorus. There are so many buildings to be constructed within this time that it was hard to believe that these plans could be fulfilled. 2008 became a turning point: the construction of two bridges considered to be the most labour-intensive objects began in Vladivostok, other impressive facilities are waiting for their turn, in spite of the economic crisis, "Expert Online" magazine reports. "We’re looking at the results of the year 2008 with careful optimism. Formulated plans have been carried out, practically all organizations that were supposed to design and build Summit objects have started their work", Aleksandr DYATCHIN, the General Manager of Rosstroy Far Eastern Administration, said (an organization, appointed to manage Summit objects construction, is in fact the Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation but it still has the old name). The big construction Construction of the bridge over the Golden Horn Bay began in June in Vladivostok. Along with the second bridge, from Nazimov Peninsula to Russkiy Island, it makes a single highway that the heads of twenty countries will take to get from Vladivostok international airport (it is to be reconstructed as well; its controlling interest has been recently given to Sheremetyevo international airport) straight to the island. The construction of the first bridge over the Golden Horn Bay is going at full speed. The tunnel at the beginning of the bridge has been concreted, and the road around Vladivostok cable railroad has been opened again, which helped the city traffic (during five months one of the busiest roads was blocked because of the tunnel construction). Construction of the second bridge directly to Russkiy Island has also begun. "Work is going on, contractors’ deployment is finished. There are some problems with land registration but we know how to solve these problems", Aleksandr DYATCHIN said. On the whole, on some objects the workers lag behind, and on the other objects they are ahead of the schedule. "A package plan is being developed in order to meet the schedule", said DYATCHIN. Apart from the bridges, the construction of two more Summit objects has begun – treatment facilities for Artem hydroelectric complex (the largest reservoir in the South of Primorye that also supplies Vladivostok with water) and freight terminal in Russkiy Island that will help deliver building materials to the island. A number of other objects are under development. Saperniy Peninsula in Russkiy Island was chosen to host the Summit. Russian government has recently approved its development project. After the Summit in 2012 all its objects will be used to establish the Far Eastern Federal University. Moreover, FEFU is to become a part of the Pacific scientific and educational center (besides the university, a new RAS Far Eastern department scientific center is to be built in Russkiy Island). A conference center and a press center that in the future will become FEFU buildings are being designed now. Experts will start designing Saperniy Peninsula civil engineering infrastructure in January 2009. The third bridge from De-Friz Peninsula over the Amur Bay to Sedanka station is to be built in Vladivostok. It will be a part of a backup road from Vladivostok airport to the downtown and further to Russkiy Island. There have been rumors that this object will be excluded from the program because of its high cost but Rosstroy Far Eastern Administration denies this fact. According to Assistant General Manager of Rosstroy Far Eastern Administration Aleksandr VOROBYOV, "all four parts that will make the road are being designed. All documents will be examined in the end of February. After that a contest will be held, which will take about 40 days according to the law. When the winner is chosen in May, construction will begin." In 2004, when nobody could think that Vladivostok would host APEC Summit, President Vladimir PUTIN gave an order to build here the largest aquarium in Russia. Primorye Aquarium administration urgently assembled but they only held a few meetings. Originally the aquarium was planned to be built in Patroclus Bay in Vladivostok, and the popular beach was fenced around. Now, however, the aquarium is to be built in Saperniy Peninsula, where the Summit will take place. According to DYATCHIN, preconstruction design has already been finished, a place for the objects has been set, and the Ministry of Defense has officially renounced the land. There’s money but there’s no electricity Today the companies that build Summit objects have no problems with labor force. Main constructions in Russkiy Island will begin next summer. However, Aleksandr DYATCHIN says that "every contractor is thinking over all possible variants of labor force intake and accomodation… First of all, we’ll take on Primorye residents, and, if it’s not enough, people from other Russian regions. If we face considerable lack of work force, we’ll take on our neighbors" (apparently, that means Chinese and Korean workers). Notorious financial crisis also makes no problem: government financing of stipulated size keeps coming, and if prices of some building materials are reduced, it’s even more economical. As for the problems, one of them is Summit objects power supply. Electricity consumption in the South of Primorye increases approaching its maximum, and building of new objects will increase the demand. "We don’t deny that there’s no money for Ussuriysk power plant construction. Unfortunately, RAO ES of East can’t find an effective way of attracting investments, and we don’t have our own money. Vice-premier has recently considered this problem but it hasn’t been solved", Senior Deputy General Manager of Rosstroy Far Eastern Administration Viktor MYASNIK said. One more difficult question is resettlement of Ayaks residents whose houses are in construction area and must be taken down. Some people didn’t want to move to Vladivostok, many of them decided to stay in the island and demanded new houses next to their old houses. This problem is proved by the fact that the island resident sent an open letter to President and Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. The problem is being solved step by step. According to one of Deputy Heads of Rosstroy Far Eastern Administration Aleksandr MIKHAYLOV, 24 out of 82 families living in Ayaks have agreed to move to new buildings in Vladivostok or to get compensations. "We will work with those who would like to stay in Russkiy Island and will solve this problem. We’re working on a question about low-rise building construction in Novik Bay. The only obstacle is how soon the Ministry of Defence will give this land to Vladivostok administration", MIKHAYLOV said. Until recently sceptics have been pointing out the fact that a special federal law concerning the Olympics Games in Sochi was adopted, although the Olympics will take place in 2014, that is two years later that APEC Summit in Vladivostok, but there’s no law concerning the Summit, although there’s a lot of problems here and they are of the same nature as in Sochi. It became known in the middle of December that a bill on APEC Summit 2012 organization had been introduced to the State Duma by Martin SHAKKUM who has nothing to do with Primorye. Rosstroy Far Eastern Administration sees this fact as positive. "This document resembles the "Olympic" law. It controls migration questions, questions of acquisition and redemption of real estate in construction area, government order placement and other questions. Of course, we would like to have this law adopted now but unfortunately preparation and harmonization will take some time. It’s good that the bill was introduced. The main thing is that it should be considered and adopted as soon as possible. It is supported by all interested departments, State Duma is working on it, and we hope that in January the bill will be adopted at the third reading", Deputy General Manager of Rosstroy Far Eastern Administration Yuriy PETROV said. Rosstroy Far Eastern Administration assures that there’s no reason to think that construction of any of the Summit objects won’t be finished on time, by the middle of 2012. However, Viktor MYASNIK added that the number of objects can be changed.