Moscow, August 27, 2020 — Gazprombank will provide integrated banking services for the construction of Arena Omsk, a multi-functional sports complex.
Arena Omsk is being built within the framework of public-private partnership in the form of a concession agreement concluded between Omsk Region and Arena LLC with the participation of Gazprom Neft PJSC. The construction is being funded by Gazprom Neft PJSC on a parity basis with Omsk Region with partial financing from the federal budget.
Arena Omsk is one of Gazprom Neft PJSC’s largest projects in the field of social support for the regions of the company’s operation.
The new arena will become one of the venues for the IIHF World Junior Championship that will take place in December 2022 — January 2023. It will also be the home arena for the Avangard Hockey Club. The facility is intended for 12,000 viewers. The six-story building, spanning an area of over 60,000 sq. m, is expected to house a sports unit, areas for judges and sports delegates, a press center, a lounge for the audience, fan zones and a space under the stands. The grounds surrounding the ice complex are expected to be equipped for recreational and sports activities.
Within the framework of this project, Gazprombank is providing banking support to the project owner — Arena LLC, as well as to the general contractor — LIMAKMARASHCHSTROY LLC, recognized as the winner of the selection for project implementation.
Arena LLC is a concessionaire and developer company established by Gazprom Neft PJSC and NPO Avangard Hockey Club Association.
LIMAKMARASHCHSTROY LLC is one of the largest construction holdings implementing projects involving the construction of complex and high-priority infrastructure facilities in Russia, including airports in Volgograd and Khabarovsk, the Platov Airport in Rostov-on-Don and the Ufa Eastern Exit to the M-5 Ural Highway, which includes a motorway, a tunnel, a bridge and several junctions.
“The Bank has amassed extensive experience and unique competencies in the funding of large contracting organizations and infrastructure projects. Per the established practice, sports infrastructure facilities are among the most capital intensive and complicated, both in terms of the financing arrangement and in terms of the technological component,” commented Oksana Panchenko, First Vice President, Curator of the Credit Unit.
“This project stands out for its unique technical solutions and very tight timeline for implementation. Moreover, the project is being financed both from the funds of Gazprom Neft PJSC and from federal budget funds based on the concession agreement. It places additional responsibility on us with regard to the provision of banking support and control over the spending of funds according to their intended purpose. When establishing the banking support model for this project, we used the best practices as a basis. I am sure that the use of these up-to-date tools for the project’s budget management will have a positive effect on its implementation as a whole,” said Oleg Melnikov, Executive Vice President — Head of the Contracts Banking Support Department.
“The Avangard Hockey Club has been Gazprombank’s client for years and work on the Arena Omsk project became an extension of our longstanding cooperation, so we approached it in a responsible and precise manner. LIMAKMARASHCHSTROY LLC is the general contractor for the project. It became the Bank’s client quite recently. The company is very ambitious regarding the implementation of breakthrough infrastructure projects on the territory of the Russian Federation, and we expect to strengthen our relationships and extend our cooperation further,” commented Anna Zhvanetskaya, Head of the Government and Subordinate Organizations Relations Center.