the City Duma, which will give long-waiting for start to a number of major construction projects in the city. Regional government will soon announce competition for investors. Learn details in the weekly overview by FederalPress.
Municipal elections will be held in March 2010, but dirty PR campaigns have already started. General Urban Plan of Nizhny Novgorod will be soon reviewed by the City Duma, which will give long-waiting for start to a number of major construction projects in the city. Regional government will soon announce competition for investors. Learn details in the weekly overview by FederalPress.
Coming municipal elections
Investigation committee of Nizhny Novgorod officially opened a criminal case against Vladimir Kolchin, vice-mayor of the city. On January 29, 2010 law enforcement officers confiscated documentation from the office of Vladimir Kolchin.
Vice-mayor is accused of misleading local businessmen by asking them to transfer money to the local football club account instead of direct payments to the city’s budget.
This case caused huge resonance in the region’s public space. All regional mass media published interviews with the city mayor, City and Regional Duma deputies. According to one of the quotations, mayor Vadim Bulavinov suspected dirty play of the regional administration aiming at weakening the mayor’s office. Other sources consider it nonsense.
Vladimir Kolchin’s official statement suggests that he disagrees with the accusations and refers them to misunderstanding. Sponsor help to the city’s football club was an absolutely legal and voluntary project.
General Urban Plan
Final public hearings of the General Plan of Urban Development of Nizhny Novgorod were held last week. The plan sets priorities for the city’s development until 2030. City Duma will review it on February 17, 2010.
“We corrected the General Plan in no hurry. And it allowed us to balance interests of all parties concerned”, the mayor Vadim Bulavinov commented.
The Plan clearly classifies all territories of the city into three categories: industrial, living estate, and recreational. When the document is approved by the City Duma, a number of real estate development projects will be launched at last.
Regional economy
Regional minister of investment policy Dmitry Svatkovsky held a press conference last week. He spoke about the results of investment activities of the regional government. Nizhny Novgorod Region witnessed the increase of investment volumes by 17% in 2009.
The government spent 46.4 billion rubles to support priority investment projects like production at the broiler farm Yasenetsky, reconstruction of the poultry farm Pavslovsky, and construction of a combined cycle electric generating plant in Nizhny Novgorod.
The region’s objective is to modernize the so-called mono-towns, based on just one industry/enterprise. Thus, Russian-Belgium joint venture RusVinyl LLC will build a PVC production complex in Kstovo.
French construction concern “Saint-Gobain” will develop its project of Gomzov plaster stone deposit, near Pavlovo.
Flaig+Hommel GmbH plan to open a factory for fastening devices production in Pavlovo district. Here in Pavlovo Schott AG will launch the first stage of construction of a production line of glass packaging for the pharmaceutical industry.
Airport of Nizhny Novgorod requires considerable reconstruction and the regional government is looking for investors. An independent air company or an alliance of an air carrier and a financial institution are desirable candidates for the project. Regional ministry of investment policy estimates the project cost at 80 million euro, at least. Competition for the investors will be announced some time in February 2010.
However, construction of a new metro line, going under the river Ob, has slowed down due to reduction of financing.