The usual procedure of development and approval of a reconstruction project is based on the design, issued by the Committee for Urban Construction and Architecture and approved by the customer. Very important minor things often surface in the process of obtaining a permit for reconstruction:

Reconstruction of the Monument of Regional or Federal Significance

We have completed projects on development and coordination of reconstruction (adaptation) projects of architectural monuments to contemporary needs. Such projects often require coordination, primarily with the Committee for Landmark Use and Protection for regarding protection requirements. For example, not many people know that in St. Petersburg, in RCZs (regulated construction zones) all the buildings built before 1957 are considered historic and should be protected (at least their facades must be recreated). One example of our work is the estate and house of Prince A. D. Lvov in Strelna, a monument of regional significance.

In this case, the main obstacle on the way of the investor's plans are protection requirements established by the Committee for Landmark Use and Protection.

Reconstruction of Buildings Partly Owned by the City (Committee for City Property Management)

This is also an interesting case, because the Committee for City Property Management is not ready to just give up their property. In this case, we assist the owner of the building in obtaining title to the whole building by implementing an investment project (working with Department for Management of Investments, the city administration, holding expert assessment).

Reconstruction of Attics (Building Attic Floors)

This is also an interesting case, because now it is practically impossible to acquire a renovated attic (attic floor) as private property. We carried out a number of architectural projects of attic reconstruction but unfortunately most of them were discontinued at the stage of project coordination with the Homeowners' Association (construction can be started if two thirds of home owners agree to it, but alienation of the newly created common property can only take place if 100% of all property owners in the building where the attic is added, agree to it).

Reconstruction of Industrial Facilities

In this case everything depends on what the owner wants to build instead of the industrial facility: if it is a housing project, it usually gets tangled in coordination issues with the Sanitation and Epidemiology Station (SES) due to contaminated soils, and lack of kindergartens and schools in the district. It is easier to build an office or a warehouse building but the fact is that almost all the industrial buildings made in the 18th and 19th centuries are protected by the Committee for Landmark Use and Protection, and at least their facades must be preserved. This creates problems with coordination of adding new floors.

In addition to the above cases, we have experience in dealing with many other, less characteristic situations, which are no less interesting and arise in the process of developing and coordinating reconstruction projects.

Works Performed When Developing Reconstruction Projects:

In St. Petersburg before the crisis of 2008 and 2009, the prices for detailed design were high and reached $100 per square meter of total area of the building. In the fall of 2010 prices declined and stabilized at RUR 700-1500 per square meter of total area in new buildings and up to RUR 2000 per square meter for reconstruction (this process is more expensive because it is more labor intensive and requires more coordination). Usually we perform the following operations for the reconstruction project:

 
1. Obtaining Reconstruction Permits:

• gathering all the required documentation as dictated by Law of St. Petersburg 282-43 ("On the Order of Providing Real Estate Owned by City of St. Petersburg for Construction and Reconstruction");
• other documentation (from the Committee for Landmark Use and Protection, the Committee for City Property Management, etc.), depending on reconstruction process conditions;
• permit issued by the city government to begin reconstruction project;

 
2. Preparing Initial Permit Documentation for Reconstruction Projects:

• Site Development Plan for the land, prepared by the Committee for Urban Construction and Architecture;
• topography and geodesy plan of the project territory;
• technical description of the object;
• engineering, geological and hydrogeoplogical report findings for the site (if required);
• results of nearby buildings and constructions surveys;
• sanitary and epidemiological reports for the environment;
• findings of studies of engineering equipment and constructions;

 
3. Developing the Reconstruction Project:

• First Stage (pre-project offers) involves solutions pertaining to volumetric and spatial characteristics of the reconstruction project and developing parameters of engineering and technical support systems;
• Second Stage includes architectural solutions, construction solutions, a set of documentation to design engineering systems and equipment, technological support of the object, civil defense and emergency management programs, construction site setup, etc.

 
4. Coordination of Project Documentation:

• Coordination of the general reconstruction plan;
• Coordination of architectural solutions;
• Coordination of technological and engineering sections of the project;

 
5. State Expert Assessment of the Project in State Autonomous Establishment Center of State Expert Assessment

• The set of documents for expert assessment, according to the rules, includes:  
  • Application of the construction company for expert assessment approved by the head of the Service of State Construction Supervision and Assessment or his or her official representative: "For preliminary expert assessment."
  • Certificate of P&SO (project survey and operation) costs;
  • Two copies of reference cards with the resolution of the head of the cost estimate department;
  • Project documentation acceptance card, authorized by the Environmental Safety Department;
  • City Development Plan for the land plot;
  • Project grounds and initial data:
    1. Order of the Governor (Administration, Government, Chairperson of the Committee for Urban Construction and Architecture);
    2. Certificate of state registration of real estate title;
    3. Urban Construction Plan
    4. Architectural Restoration Project Department of the Committee for Landmark Use and Protection
    5. Technical Design Assignment (approved by the Technical Specifications of State Establishment Emercom Ministry of Russia);
    6. Sanitary and Epidemiological Reports on Chemical, Bacteriological and Radiation Testing, Technological Rules;
    7. Land plot borders report for the period of design and construction;
    8. Standard Specifications of Departments and Services for Installation of Engineering Networks;
  • Project Coordination with the following bodies:
    1. Committee for Urban Construction and Architecture (Office of the Chief Architect / extract, General Plan and facades/, Chief Artist, Department of Underground Constructions);
    2. Committee for Landmark Use and Protection Report (land plot use mode, and coordination of the reconstruction project);
    3. Standard Specifications of the Russian Consumer Protection Board for St. Petersburg
    4. Technological Regulations regarding construction waste (coordinated with the Committee for Management of Natural Resources, Environmental Safety Department, and Ecological Safety Support Department);
    5. District Administration;
    6. State Establishment Housing Agency (Homeowners' Association; Housing Cooperatives);
    7. Parks and Gardens Management Board
    8. Russian Air Navigation Agency;
    9. State Traffic Safety Inspectorate;
    10. Neva and Ladoga Basin Water Management Board;
    11. Approval of city engineering departments and services;
    12. Inquiries and complaints on the site;
  • Copy of the LUDR records and the Law on Borders of Cultural Heritage Protection Zones showing the location of the site;
  • Electronic version of the project in the PDF format;
• Preliminary expert assessment of the project documentation;
• Final expert assessment (eliminating points in need of correction);
• Obtaining state expert assessment report;

 
6. Obtaining Reconstruction Operations Permit (Construction Plot Operations Commence):

• Preparing a set of documents for the reconstruction permit in accordance with Order No. 87 of the Russian Government;
  1. Documents of title for the land plot;
  2. City Development Plan for the land plot;
  3. Materials contained in the project documentation:
     • Project summary;
     • layout of the land plot;
     • schemes showing architectural solutions;
     • information on engineering equipment, layout of engineering and technical support networks with access points;
     • project of construction organization;
     • project of demolition or dismantling operations;
  4. Approval of project documentation by state expert assessment board;
  5. Permit to exceed the parameters of the permitted construction project (if necessary);
  6. Approval of all title holders of the object of reconstruction;
• Application for the construction permit to SSCS&A (Service of State Construction Supervision and Assessment);
• Obtaining a permit for reconstruction in accordance with the current rules.

 
7. Commissioning completed construction projects:

• Preparing a set of documents to obtain the commission permit;
• Submitting an application to obtain the commission permit;
• Receiving the commission permit;

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