Alexander Ustinov, Office Property Manager for RD Management, spoke with Interfax-Realty about the unique features of basement premises in Class A office buildings.
High-class office real estate is always designed in such a way as to ensure the premises are liquid and profitable.
For the most part, the basement premises of an office building are used for infrastructure tenants. Such premises are occupied by restaurants, pharmacies, supermarkets, fitness centers and even cinemas. Sometimes owners create in the basements conference halls and meeting rooms which successfully complement the concept of the property. Underground premises can also be used for parking, technical support rooms and the offices of the building maintenance service.
MANAGER’S PERSPECTIVE
Alexander Ustinov does not see underground premises as a serious competitor to the traditional office format. “One of the key features of underground premises is the absence of natural lighting, which makes them not very attractive for office tenants,” the expert says. “In this case added value for the basement premises can be created by the architect and designer of the building.”
As an example, the expert pointed to the Romanov Dvor complex, where the second phase was designed in such a way that natural light reaches the basement premises via the atrium zone. One of the tenants of this space is the elite Romanov Cinema.
ROMANOV DVOR
Romanov Dvor is a prestigious premium-class business center in Moscow situated in close proximity to the Kremlin on Romanov Pereulok. The complex was included in Forbes’ list of the most expensive pieces of real estate near the Kremlin.