Tambov, Russia Leaders Tap San Francisco-Based Architecture and Engineering Firms for the Development of a $350 Million Mixed-Use Project.

SAN FRANCISCO -- In a move to harness the expertise of three San Francisco-based architecture, engineering and development firms, leaders of the Tambov region of Russia have joined forces with Igor Tartakovsky of San Francisco-based C & B Engineers and Richard Hannum of Hannum Associates, the City's 25-year architecture and design firm, in the formation of GRAD (old root word for "City"), a Russian/American real estate development and design consultancy company. The new firm was formed to undertake the development of a $350 million, residential, retail and sports complex that will span three million square feet and three city blocks in Tambov.

The move signals the beginning of a unique relationship between the American firms and Tambov leaders including GRAD partner Jamal Shamoyan, member of the Duma and the Honorable Oleg Betin, governor of Tambov Region. The Russian contingent was in San Francisco last month to kick off the project in a meeting with San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and representatives of the San Francisco design and development teams. The week's activities concluded with a memorandum of understanding authorizing all parties to proceed with the diligent assessment of the project.

C&B Engineers, which is a leader in high-rise projects in San Francisco, includes in its roster the 900,000 sq. ft. 5th and King Towers at Mission Bay; the Gap headquarters building and the Village at Centennial Square that won the Gold Nugget Grand Award for Best apartment complex of five stores or more, among others.

Hannum Associates is the design architect for the rehabilitation of Piers 1 1/2, 3 and 5 along San Francisco's Embarcadero; the Village at Castle Pines, a 115,000 sq. ft. town center and retail complex outside of Denver, Colorado and other mixed-use projects in and around San Francisco.

The team has also joined forces with Gate Capital, a 25-year, San Francisco real estate development company headed by Bruce Jones whose portfolio, while working with David Rockefeller, includes the development of San Francisco's Embarcaderos 2, 3, 4 West, The Park Hyatt and Portman Hotel. Recent projects include Belvedere Place in Mill Valley, California; a new mixed-use housing development located in downtown San Francisco and an upcoming 200,000 sq. ft. office complex in San Rafael, CA. Other San Francisco-based GRAD partners will include general contractors, material fabricators and technical services for high-rise housing and mixed-use buildings.

According to Hannum, "The San Francisco team is honored to be selected by the government of Tambov to bring its collective expertise to the local community. We are confident that our combined knowledge and experience in the design, construction and development of some of San Francisco's civic projects will generate an exciting new sense of place in Tambov and further its leaders' goals to provide the region with employment and a expanded capability in state-of-the-art materials and methods."

The Project

The project, which is slated to begin construction in 2005, sits adjacent to Tambov's government and educational center and will include housing for 2,000 households in addition to retail, hospitality and a sports facilities. The design will be contextual, reflecting the city's role as a pre-revolutionary garden community and merchant's center, incorporating the existing concept of inner-block gardens with a contemporary exterior design. Like many undertakings in San Francisco, this is an urban infill project incorporating historic preservation adjacent to new, modern construction. The housing towers will be staggered to accommodate the low, winter solar angles, so buildings do not shade each other or the primary open space.

GRAD will bring to Tambov and the region training in the design and construction practices employed in San Francisco and will train local people in the best-of-class skills required to create, deliver and maintain a vibrant and ongoing housing industry in response to the local needs, aiming to eventually leave GRAD in a consulting advisory role rather than as principle developer and builder.

"Through this relationship," said Hannum, "San Francisco will be exporting one of its great intellectual properties-- the creation of place through dynamic urban planning and development."

Hannum Associates and C&B Engineers have plans to open a design studio in Tambov in partnership with the State University and its Architecture and Engineering Departments. Local architects and engineers will be hired to operate the office and serve under the training and supervision of GRAD's professional staff.

For additional information, please contact Richard Hannum at Hannum Associates, 222 Sutter Street, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94108. Telephone [phone]; [e-mail].