US leases the most expensive land plot in Almaty

Tengrinews.kz - The Mazhilis deputies have ratified an agreement with the United States to allocate a land plot for the construction of a consulate in Almaty.

The U.S. will lease a 70,593-square-meter land plot for a period of 49 years for the construction.

During the discussion of the bill, a debate arose regarding the location of the future consulate and certain urban planning restrictions.

"Part of the building under construction may reach a height of 22 meters. These 22 meters could be critical: Al-Farabi Avenue has a zoning limit above which buildings cannot be constructed. This is the most expensive land in our country and the most prestigious area. Restrictions were specifically introduced to prevent construction exceeding the limit. There have been precedents where high floors were demolished. Does the construction of the U.S. Consulate fall under this restriction? Does it comply with the established urban planning regulations?" asked Mazhilis deputy Sergey Ponomarev during a plenary session.

First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Akan Rakhmetullin confirmed that the permitted consulate building height of 22 meters slightly exceeds the established limit.

"This was a subject of significant negotiations with the Americans at the time. According to Article 9, about 1.5 percent of the total land area was granted an exemption from this limit to accommodate ventilation shafts and communication antennas. When we discussed this with them, the idea was that they would build deeper underground. This was a compromise solution," explained the deputy minister.

The location of the land plot can be viewed here.