For the purchase of premises in the Nevskaya Ratusha complex to house a number of Smolny committees in the budget of St. Petersburg for 2014. 10.1 billion rubles were reserved. As the city's vice-governor Sergei Vyazalov said at a press conference, no funds are provided for the redemption next year, since construction of the complex will be completed in 2014, at which time the relocation of committees may begin.

At the same time, according to S. Vyazalov, a proposal was sent to VTB Bank, which is the main creditor of the construction, for the city to purchase the premises allocated to it in installments over three years. “We are negotiating on this issue, the proposal has been submitted to the bank, and it is considering it,” said S. Vyazalov. The list of committees that can move to the Nevsky Town Hall, according to the vice-governor, has not yet been finalized.

Let us recall that previously the acting chairman of the committee for investments and strategic projects of the St. Petersburg administration, Oleg Lyskov, said that in order to compensate for the costs of purchasing a place in the Nevsky Town Hall, the city expects to put up for sale the premises that will be vacated by the Smolny committees. “We have prepared a list of premises and buildings of executive authorities that may move to the Nevsky Town Hall in 2013. For now, we are waiting for the government’s decision,” said O. Lyskov. He explained that we are talking about 13 committees and several dozen premises, including monument buildings. It is expected that the list will be approved by the end of the year; objects will be put up for sale gradually, and not at once.

Let us remind you that the construction of the Nevsky Town Hall is being carried out on behalf of Smolny, the investor is VTB Bank, it was planned to invest $700 million in the project. Control over the implementation of the project in the interests of VTB is carried out by VTB-Development CJSC, which is headed by the son of the ex-governor of St. Petersburg Valentina Matvienko Sergei Matvienko.

Smolny is negotiating with VTB on the purchase of the Nevskaya Ratusha in installments.