The construction of Nakhimov Plaza, a trade and office center at 9 Vainer St. in Yekaterinburg may take longer than expected. According to the builder, that is, to Aston’s Chairman Vyacheslav Trapeznikov, the technical commissioning of the center was scheduled for June 2008. At the same time, the chairman admitted that the bearing carcass structure had been completed only two months before, the façade had been finished by 60%, and the interior finishing had barely started. And, according to the billboard next to the construction site, the original commissioning deadline was determined at the fourth quarter of 2007.

Aston Group says the delay has been caused by a number of technical problems, including, for instance, a small construction site.

Some observers believe the delay may have been caused by the fact that Aston’s project involves Ural VEM and Premierstroy (a company close to Noviy Grad, the notorious and ill-reputed local builder). In the meantime, Aston appears to be trying to shift the responsibility for delay on someone else.

‘We have to admit that Nakhimov Plaza is not solely our own project. We haven’t worked on this project from the very beginning, we did not take part in the design and development, and we are not taking part in the construction process at the moment. In fact, at the beginning of 2008 we were invited to become this building’s general sales agent,’ Vyacheslav Trapeznikov said.

Experts feel that even if Nakhimov Plaza gets finished after all, its economic efficiency might be jeopardized by its location. The thing is, this area is already quite saturated with trade centers, so the new mall may not enjoy very much demand. It has been reported that not all the outlets in the Plaza have been sold yet.