It's to every employer's advantage to provide a workplace that's easy for his employees to get to. What could be easier than taking a couple of steps up from a centrally located metro station and be right at the front door of your job?
Those who work at the business center Khreshchatyk Plaza at 19A Khreshchatyk have no excuses for being late to work – or for arriving late after lunch. After all, McDonald's is right next to the Khreshchatyk metro.
At first glance, it's not apparent that the metro station contains a 7,500-square-meter, four-story beast. However, the business center has been operating since May of 1999.
The property owner is open joint-stock venture Metro, while McDonald's Ukraine acts as the project developer. Quattrogemini was contracted to handle all on-site construction.
'It took us eight months to renovate the premises, which used to be a restaurant in Soviet times,' says Oleh Vasylenko, McDonald's business center manager.
The renovation project cost about $8 million, Vasylenko said.
Presently, the business center has nearly 3,600 square meters of available office space. The center is 30 percent occupied.
The first floor accommodates McDonalds' property management, while Norwegian telecommunication company, Telenor, and American pharmaceutical company, Lundback, are lodged on the second floor. The fourth floor hosts Radio Liberty. Recently, executive search agency, Personnel Select, also moved to Khreshchatyk Plaza.
The office area ranges from 30 square meters to 490 square meters. But due to previous construction in the building, all apartments have a different design.
The ceilings are more than three meters high, and there is 2,000 square meters of floor space.
Unlike many business centers, Khreshchatyk Plaza can accommodate retailers, as well, Vasylenko said. There are two shops in the center – household appliance shop Eldorado and sport clothing shop Altima.
Khreshchatyk Plaza has two entrances and a parking lot for 27 cars.
The building features a sprinkler system and three high-speed elevators, which travel one meter per second. The most notable feature of the center, however, is its safety system. Tenants gain access by showing a plastic card. Even guests must have temporary cards in order to enter. There are 28 video cameras recording activity throughout the public areas of the building.
'The safety system resembles that of banks or government institutions,' Vasylenko said.
Added amenities include a central air conditioning system, which will maintain the temperature at a range of 18 to 22 degrees C.
Though Khreshchatyk Plaza towers above the metro, the building is soundproof. The current monthly price ranges from $20 to $30 per square meter. McDonald's seeks long-term contracts of no less than two years, Vasylenko said.
Industry News
Meanwhile, a Western-standard warehouse Baza Complex in Kyiv's downtown is on sale. The building was commissioned in 1978 and was used as a food storage place. Real Estate & Service is the leasing agent for the project.
The 5,130-square-meter Baza Complex has six floors and is located on a lot of 7,000 square meters at 7 Filatova in Kyiv's Pechersky district.
The total storage area is 2,031 square meters, while the total retail space is 1,154 square meters. Administrative and office premises occupy 588 square meters. The technical purpose area is about 1,117 square meters.
Baza Complex offers 26 digital phone lines and two heavy-duty freight elevators, with three tons of capacity each.
The maximum floor load is one and a half tons per square meter.
The purchase area ranges from 650 square meters to a total of 5,130 square meters. The average purchase price is $180 per square meter, according to Real Estate & Service spokeswoman Yuliya Voloshchuk.
Anna Stepanenko can be reached at [email protected].
