The former owner of "Uralkali" Dmitry Rybolovlev received on his birthday on November 22 an unexpected gift. The Ministry of Economic Development of Greece issued a Russian billionaire permission to build on the island of Scorpios.

The businessman purchased the island in 2013 from Athena Onassis, the heiress of the legendary ship owner Aristotle Onassis, for $ 120 million. Formally, the buyer was not called Rybolovlev himself, but one of the companies of the trust acting in the interests of his daughter Catherine.

The project is developed by the international architectural bureau Denniston International Architects & Planners. According to the local newspaper Proto Thema, the investment of the billionaire will be € 120 million. The representative of Rybolovlev Sergey Chernitsyn in his interview with Forbes declined to comment on this figure, but noted that the volume of investments will be specified by the beginning of work - October 2018, and the funds will be invested through family trusts .

According to the source Forbes, now is the specification of the parameters of the project and the preparation of tenders for the work. "In Greece it is extremely difficult to obtain permission for construction on small islands. In this regard, this is the result of a grandiose work with the project, "he stressed.

The project includes the construction of a "luxury" complex of 48 beds, including several villas in the area of ​​the famous Pink House, the layout of which was developed by Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis and where she hosted guests.

Within the framework of the project, the East Beach building will be completely restored, a swimming pool will be created on its roof, and sports facilities will be located nearby. The total building area will be more than 13 000 square meters. m with a permitted building area of ​​50,000 square meters. m.

In the Greek media the project is called "ecological". "Ecological - in the sense that environmentally friendly technologies will be used," Chernitsyn explains. As Proto Thema wrote, staff and visitors will be provided with electric vehicles to move around the island, and solar panels will be placed on the roofs of the buildings.

With regard to the flora and fauna of Scorpions, the island has already brought in plants necessary to provide island guests with vegetables and fruits that grow exclusively there, continues the publication.

"We planted tomatoes, onions, melons, lettuce and verbena, because Dmitry loves verbena (from her in Greece they make tea." - Forbes). Near the garden there are vineyards. Here we plan to produce our own wine after a while. Dmitry prefers a rose, "- said in 2015, the former president of Uralkali, a cousin of Rybolovlev Andrey Konogorov. Both the farm and the vineyards existed under Onassis, but eventually came to desolation.

At the same time, it was about the creation of a farm with various animals on the island: sheep, goats, cows and chickens, as well as the production of cheese, yogurt and milk. Whether these ideas will be realized is not yet known.

You can not call a tourist project, says a representative of a businessman. "This is not a business project in its pure form. This is the construction of a private complex for the family and guests of the family, "he explained, noting that, nevertheless, there is obviously a potential for capitalization of the entire facility.

According to the world practice, such objects can be surrendered for various activities. "There is potential here, too," Chernitsyn said. According to him, Rybolovlev's family will decide whether to use this opportunity or not.