"Auchan" picks the sites for the projects in Tomsk

The Development Director of "Auchan Retail Russia" Emmanuel Zhilyar and the director general of "Immoashan Russia" Thierry Leconte met on July 12 with the Deputies Vice-Governor of the Tomsk Region Yuri Gurdin and Eugene Parshuto.

In June, at the Petersburg International Economic Forum, the governor of the Tomsk region Sergey Zhvachkin and the President of AuchanRussia Jean-Pierre Germain agreed to place in Tomsk retail facilities of one of the world's largest retail chain operators. Today, at the meeting in the regional administration the representatives of the heads of the region discussed the platforms for implementation of the projects of the Auchan group.

"Siberia is a priority area for us, we are actively developing in Krasnoyarsk, Barnaul, Novokuznetsk, and after this Petersburg forum we have a task to focus on Tomsk", - said the director for development of "Auchan Retail Russia" Emmanuel Zhilyar.

He said that the State Concern "Auchan" includes several companies. "Auchan Retail" is engaged in retail trade and opened about 100 hypermarkets and 190 supermarkets in Russia (including those of the city-format - in the densely built-up areas). "Immoauchan" specializes in construction and management of trade facilities: in Russia there are already operating 35 shopping and recreation centers with the area of 20-25 thousand square meters completed with the "Auchan" shops and construction supermarkets "LeruaMerlen".

"Tomsk, according to our estimates, is among the top ten Russian cities with great potential for the development of retail space, - said the head of "Immoauchan Russia" Thierry Leconte. - For each shopping center, we develop the concept in detail, select tenants; including the most popular brands, think over the external and internal areas, taking into account the peculiarities of the territory and the needs of local residents. We are planning to implement in Russia one project per year with significant investments and are very interested in our presence in Tomsk."

According to the suggestion of Eugene Parshuto, the representatives of "Auchan" first of all will consider two territories in the regional center. That is a plot in the area of Sosnovy Bor, which in the nearest future will receive the status of the site of "a large-scale investment project" which will allow the applicants to acquire land without tender procedures. It is also possible to construct here the trade gallery, as well as the "Auchan" entrance to the shopping and recreation center which is being implemented by another developer. The second plot can be picked up in the area adjacent to the special economic area "Tomsk".

"This is the future downtown of Tomsk, where there is an intensive residential and infrastructure construction, and a convenient transport scheme is provided."  35 thousand people have already lived in the three-minute availability, and more than 150 thousand - in ten-minute distance", - explained Eugene Parshuto.

In addition, the retailer will consider the options for entry into the redevelopment projects of former industrial sites of the Ball Bearing Plant and "Sibelektromotor".

"On behalf of the governor, we are ready to render comprehensive assistance to the company so that "Auchan» could already in this year commence implementing its project in the territory of the Tomsk region", - stressed the Vice-Governor Yury Gurdin.

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