NORILSK, March 17. /TASS/. The Norilsk renovation program's experience should be used in other Russian Arctic cities, the Krasnoyarsk Region's Governor Mikhail Kotyukov told reporters.

Under the plan to develop and renovate Norilsk, investments to 2035 will make 120.1 billion rubles ($1.4 billion), where 24 billion rubles ($280 million) come from the federal budget, 14.8 billion rubles ($173 million) - from the Krasnoyarsk Region's budget, and 81.3 billion rubles ($950 million) - from the Norilsk Nickel Company. By 2035, about 400,000 square meters of housing and a number of social facilities will be built in the city.

"While working on Arctic backbone settlements in Russia, we will suggest using the Norilsk experience at the federal level and in other Arctic regions, as here we have found technological solutions, have implemented them, and the first feedback from local residents is very positive," the governor said.

Specialists used in Norilsk the thermal stabilization technology typical for industrial construction. "By using this technology we do not demolish houses, but restore their structures, thus we make sure many residents in Norilsk can keep the housing, and we, using the approved financial limitations, can afford more positive initiatives," he continued adding the program would be expanded.

The Norilsk Nickel Company's First Vice President Nikolay Utkin said that before the renovation started in Norilsk, the city had not had construction of residential or social facilities for several decades. "In fact, we had to start it all afresh, from understanding the financing, the soils' bearing capacity, whether it is possible to build there. <...> By now, we have reached a good cruising speed [in implementing the renovation projects], the company does not change plans, it reviews [them] only in terms of pricing policies and priority of facilities under the agreement [on implementation of the comprehensive plan for Norilsk's socio-economic development], we still have obligations beyond the agreement," he said. In 2024, beyond the agreement, an apartment building for young professionals was commissioned, and plans are to build another house of the kind. During the renovation, the company plans to build social, cultural, and sports facilities, Norilsk Nickel's representative added.

Plans for the current year

Norilsk's Mayor Dmitry Karasev announced plans for 2025: to start building three new residential houses, where a tender has been announced already. Under the renovation program, four residential houses of 184 apartments have been commissioned. Public spaces are being developed, too. The Tower social and cultural center will be opened in downtown Norilsk. It will have a lecture hall, a gastronomic cafe, co-working spaces, a library and mass events areas.

A promenade zone is being developed for the city's central part, the Norilsk Development Agency's Director Maxim Mironov told TASS.