– Tell us about the Bosphorus Development company.
– Our company is one of the largest investment and development companies in Turkey. My grandparents started the business in the 1930s. I am a representative of the third generation. The family business started with retail trade, later the company began to engage in other types of business activities, in particular, a chain of delis, restaurants and bakeries, furniture and textile production, as well as gas supply and oil products trading were opened.
Our company implemented the first development project in 1970. In 51 years, more than 5 million square meters were built. m of real estate, more than 100 projects have been completed. Among the landmark projects for us is one of the largest themed aquariums in the world, Istanbul Aquarium, with a total area of 23,000 square meters. m and the largest business center Istanbul Tower 205 (220 m high, 246 thousand sq. m). We also built several shopping malls, the Crowne Plaza Istanbul hotel, and about 100 business and premium residential projects. Today, there are six facilities in Istanbul at the stage of design and initial implementation.
We have our own architectural group, but we also work with the world’s best architects. In particular, for Istanbul Tower 205, we considered the proposals of many leading architects in the world, but settled on the project of the American company Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (Burj Khalifa in the UAE, One World Trade Center in New York, Tianjin CTF financial center in China).
– Why was Ukraine chosen to expand the development direction?
– I have been living in Ukraine for 20 years, I got married and raised two children here, I received an education at the Institute of International Relations of Kyiv National University named after Taras Shevchenko. Ukraine is like a second homeland for me. During these years, he developed business in various directions, but now he decided to concentrate on development.
Historically, very good relations have developed between Ukraine and Turkey, Turkish companies are actively involved in the construction of important infrastructure facilities in Ukraine, but Bosphorus Development will be the first Turkish development company to implement projects of such a scale in the capital of Ukraine. In Ukraine, we already have a fairly significant land bank. Today there are four plots of land, we are negotiating the acquisition of three more. We would not like to name the locations until the start of construction work. I can only say that all plots are located in the central part of the capital.
– What characteristics should a plot of land have in order to be of interest to your company?
– The implementation of a successful project depends on many factors: location, infrastructure, transport connections, availability of social institutions, etc. The size of the plot of land must be at least 1 hectare, but if the location is very interesting, it can be smaller.
A necessary condition – the land plot must be flawless from a legal point of view. To establish the compliance of the land plot with our standards and requirements, we necessarily conduct due diligence, using the services of well-known international companies, such as Baker McKenzie, Ernst&Young, DLA Piper.
– Unfortunately, there are no completely “white” areas in the capital without potential conflicts.
– This largely explains why there are so few international developers in Ukraine.
– Which construction sector did you choose for investment? What projects do you plan to implement?
– As I already mentioned, we have experience in implementing projects of any complexity and various types: housing, hotels, trade, commercial real estate, infrastructure facilities, etc. In the construction of our facilities, we use only high-quality and ecological materials that have passed thorough inspection, examination and certification. In Turkey, we have our own production of building and finishing materials. For example, all elements and structures made of wood in our projects are our own.
In Ukraine, we are currently studying manufacturers and suppliers of building materials, analyzing which Ukrainian materials to use and which to import. As an example, we are completely satisfied with the quality and characteristics of Ukrainian decorated granite. As for ceramic granite, we choose between Turkish, Italian and Spanish manufacturers. Windows and facades – we are studying the offers of several representative offices of Turkish and German manufacturers in Ukraine. If we control the entire process of production of materials and if they fully meet our requirements, then perhaps we will make a choice among Ukrainian manufacturers.
Our first project in Kyiv will be a multifunctional residential complex with commercial and social facilities. It will be business-class housing with interesting and original architectural solutions, using quality materials, with well-thought-out and useful infrastructure for residents, harmonized with the environment. The project has already been developed by our architects in cooperation with Ukrainian colleagues.
– When will you present the projects and start their construction?
– The construction of our first project will start in the first quarter of 2022, then we will talk about it in more detail, we will
