U.S. to lease prime land in Almaty for $25M over 49 years

Kazakhstan’s Majilis has ratified an agreement with the United States to lease a land plot in Almaty for the construction of a U.S. consulate, Tengrinews.kz reported.

Under the agreement, the U.S. will lease a 70,593 square meter plot for 49 years. The lease payment is set at $25,301,016 and will be paid as a lump sum within 30 calendar days of the agreement taking effect.

During the parliamentary discussion, concerns were raised about the building’s height and compliance with urban planning regulations. MP Sergey Ponomarev noted that the Al-Farabi Avenue zone restricts buildings from exceeding certain heights, as it is considered the most expensive and prestigious area in Almaty.

First Deputy Foreign Minister Akan Rakhmatullin confirmed that the proposed 22-meter building height slightly exceeds local limits. He explained that the U.S. was granted a special exception allowing them to use 1.5% of the total land area for ventilation shafts and communication antennas. This was the result of lengthy negotiations and a mutual compromise.

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