Olips, the local developer, signed an agreement with Knight Frank, the London-based consultancy, regarding the design and development of a business hub at 13 Repin St. in Yekaterinburg.

Knight Frank, founded in London over a hundred years ago, has been operating on the Russian market for over ten years now. The company is the leading player on the office, storehouse, trade, and housing estate markets. Knight Frank is expected to design the general concept of a business center that will be based in the north-eastern part of the city, at the intersection of Repin St. and Kraul St., Yekaterinburg’s two major streets.

The future business hub is quite close to the city center and is very accessible thanks to numerous transport links (trolley and bus routes) and a road network. The new building is expected to become a premium class center with offices designed on the basis of a new classification by the ‘G4’ (CB Richard Ellis Noble Gibbons, Colliers International, Cushman&WakefieldStiles&Riabokobylko, and Jones Lang LaSalle). The center will have been commissioned by the end of 2009.

This is not the first time Olips is using the world’s leading consultancies’ experience. The developer is assisted in designing Dirigible Mall and Parkoviy Trade and Entertainment Center by Cushman&Wakefield/Stiles&Riabokobylko, and its Magnet Trade Center is being developed by London Consulting & Management Company.

‘We realized the need to cooperate with professional consulting firms quite a long time ago and began using them in all of our projects. This makes one certain that, despite the market becoming gradually saturated, our products are going to be a success,’ says Olips’ Commercial Director Evgeniy Melnikov.