Housing will soon be built on the sites of former factories in Almaty, in locations that will prove more attractive than residential complexes on the city's outskirts, but prospective buyers should take the specific features of such plots into account, the website infohub.kz reports.
Under Almaty's new general plan through 2040, 276 industrial enterprises are to be moved outside the city limits. Industrial zones will be removed from the northern, central and western parts of the city, freeing up space for future development.
Developer and construction expert Dilyara Seitnurova noted that land beneath former factories will be far more valuable than the vacant plots currently available on the outskirts. The enterprises are located in already developed areas, surrounded by existing infrastructure — power grids, roads and water supply systems. New residential districts will immediately enjoy good transport access and the necessary utility networks, something plots in open fields on the outskirts lack.
At the same time, Seitnurova noted that buyers of future housing on these plots face risks. Enterprises leave heavy metals, chemicals and petroleum products in the soil. There is a regulation requiring that a plot be remediated before construction begins. In practice, however, buyers will have to verify themselves whether such cleanup was carried out. Before purchasing housing on a former industrial site, they will need to request data on remediation and soil testing.
The expert also notes that it is still unknown who exactly will receive the plots freed up after the enterprises are relocated. The mechanism for distributing the land has not yet been announced.
According to Dilyara Seitnurova, residents of neighboring buildings will also gain certain benefits from the relocation of the factories. Freight traffic, noise and harmful emissions will leave the area. As a result, nearby housing could rise in price. At the same time, the relocation of the enterprises will stretch out until 2040, and while the plants are still operating, the future move will not affect apartment prices in such districts.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote about the changes envisaged by Almaty's General Plan through 2040. Almatygenplan has launched a contact center where residents can obtain information about specific areas.