27 Jun 2013
$600m theme park in the works for Russia
BY Tom Anstey
Plans have been announced for a new Disney-style amusement park and nature reserve in Baikalsk, Russia.
The new attraction will be built on the site of the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill - which was once a heavy polluter of the lake it sits on the banks of.
The park will go by the name of 'Sacred Russia' and in addition to the theme park and nature reserve, will also feature an education centre, hotel complex, academic and research centre. Architectural monuments will also be erected on site.
Bidding for construction of the park, which is anticipated to boost tourism by two million viewers per year, is expected to begin soon as the project must be approved this year, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources. The complex is slated to be completed by 2017.
The project will be financed through the state-owned Vnesheconombank, but the amount of investment is yet to be revealed.
The Russian government will allocate US$91.7m (RUB3bn, £60.2m, €70.4m) to clean up the area surrounding the plant and US$428m (RUB14bn, £281.3m, €328.7m) will be used to close the plant.
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