The St. Petersburg land use and construction commission has recommended allowing a variance from zoning laws to enable the Gazprom Neft-controlled Okhta Center organization to build its Lakhta Center office building, Interfax reported Thursday.
The proposed structure would rise 470 meters above the UNESCO-protected Neva River delta, where structures are usually restricted to a height of 27 meters. The Lakhta site was chosen after a similar project to be located closer to the city center was canceled due to public opposition. The land was purchased from developer LSR group.
Official UNESCO representative Eleonora Mitrofanova told Interfax on Thursday that the organization had not received any documents concerning plans to build in the protected area.
(MT)
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