The interregional public charitable organization "Society for the Protection of Consumer Rights and Environmental Protection" Principle "filed a lawsuit against the Department of City Property and LLC" Western Estate ". The Moscow Arbitration Court accepted the claim for proceedings, the first session is scheduled for March 9.

Western Estate is part of the investment group Millhouse of Roman Abramovich, specifies RBC. Environmental activists dispute the legality of the construction by Western Estate of a multi-storey parking lot on Krylatskaya Street next to the Krylatskie Hills office complex, which is also owned by Millhouse, RBC writes with reference to the text of the lawsuit, which the newspaper read.

The site on Krylatskaya Street with an area of ​​almost 1 hectare used to be part of the natural and historical park "Moskvoretsky", a specially protected natural area of ​​the city (OOPT), RBC notes. But in 2017, Moscow entered into a land lease agreement for the construction of an eight-story parking lot for 500 cars with Medical Estate LLC, which later merged with Western Estate. In the fall of 2019, the developer received permission to build the complex.

Environmental activists argue that the site was not properly removed from the specially protected natural area, in connection with which they are asked to declare the lease agreement illegal. According to them, the site did not undergo an environmental examination, without which it was impossible to exclude it from the buffer zone. The lawsuit also states that the lease was concluded without bidding or competition. In addition, the constant movement of cars will lead to an increase in anthropogenic pressure on the protected natural area and to an increase in the number of disturbance factors for its inhabitants, environmental activists believe.

The Millhouse representative, in turn, insists that the site was not part of the OOPT at the time it was leased, and the project is aimed at solving the problem with the district's transport infrastructure. The company claims that the parking will help relieve the traffic on Krylatskaya Street and make it more convenient to visit the park and bike trails. In addition, there will be a 50-meter outdoor swimming pool on the roof of the car park.

Forward Legal's lawyer Daria Shlyapnikova, in a conversation with RBC, noted that the plaintiffs went to court only in 2021, and the lease was concluded in 2017 - beyond the three-year limitation period. "The omission of the limitation period is an independent basis for refusing a claim," she explained.