President of Tatarstan presented concept of Admiralteyskaya Sloboda development

Kazan State Architecture and Construction University urban construction department deputy chief, Alexander Dembich, delivered a keynote report.

He reminded the meeting of the district’s history dating back to 1718, when it had been at a Peter the First's decree founded on the left bank of the Kazanka river.

The district had fallen to decay, said the reporter. “The area goes through difficult times. It is rather depressive,” he said.

Area’s restoration had first begun about 1.5-2 years before, said A. Dembich. The district has a very favourable geographical location, one of the advantages being its proximity, 1,800 metres, to the Kazan Kremlin. It had however no communication with the city, he recalled.

The area’s mission was to be the safest and most comfortable part of the city with a unique historical resource and tourism potential, varied and comfortable residential quarters and jobs for high-technology business, decided the meeting.

The discussion ended in devising a master plan for the new construction in Admiralteiskaya Sloboda, according to which a few marketing brands are to be established in the area. The Zilant’s Monastery and Peter’s wharf are historical brands, while a theme Russian fleet history park, planned to be built along the old course of Kazanka, as well as a rebuilt Volga quay, are new ones.

Another proposal was to build an innovative park, residential complexes with flats and workshops for creative specialities, transfer the River Training College here and provide elements of tourist service with water tourism.

Besides, the designers consider it necessary to build a railway ramp and extend the aeroexpress line to the Northern Railway Station.

The timeframe for the project is 2013 to 2030. The district is currently home to 8.5 thousand people but the designers suggest increasing the population to 20 thousand. The residential area is planned to be enlarged from 54.6 hectares to 122.4 hectares.

To implement the project, public private partnership is suggested to be used. According to designers’ estimates, the requisite investment from 2013 to 2030 is 12-15 billion roubles.

R. Minnikhanov thanked the designers and praised their work. “It is a great work but promising,” he said. For the project to be successful it was important to include it in a federal programme, he added.

He then suggested the gunpowder plant be included in the concept. “The gunpowder plant is prospectively an area that needs development as well. You need to keep this area in perspective,” he said.