The U.S. State Department has announced a project to construct an annexed office building on the compound of the embassy in Moscow, the embassy announced Monday.
The seven-story office building will be sited adjacent to the current eight-story Chancery building at the "new" embassy compound near the so-called Russian White House.
The first two floors of the building will provide consular and visa services for Russian citizens wishing to travel to the United States and services for the growing number of American visitors and expatriates living in Russia.
The upper floors of the new annex will provide office space for agencies working with the Russian government such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Centers for Disease Control, the Foreign Commercial Service and the Foreign Agricultural Service.
The new annex was designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification standards. The State Department engaged the architectural firm of HOK (formerly Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum) to design the annex. That firm engaged the Russian architectural firm of A. R. Vorontsov to participate in this project.
HOK was also selected in 2009 to design a Mandarin Oriental Hotel in a historical building on Tverskaya Ulitsa, the Unikor development company reported on its website.
Groundbreaking for the new embassy annex is scheduled for the summer of 2012, and ribbon cutting is projected for 2015.
The construction of the new annex will complete a program of diplomatic construction in Washington, D.C. and Moscow as envisioned in agreements signed in 1969 and amended in 1992.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
