SMOLEVICHI DISTRICT, 27 August (BelTA) - The China-Belarus industrial park Great Stone commissioned the first residential house on 27 August. The project was implemented by the 25th company of the China Railway Construction Corporation using China’s technical and economic assistance, BelTA has learned.
A 156-apartment house was built in less than a year. The construction started in November 2018 and finished in late July 2019. The total area of the building equals 18,000m2. The house comprises 70 one-room apartments and 70 two-room apartments, with the rest being three-room apartments. The building has everything necessary for a comfortable life thanks to the contribution of the Industrial Park Development Company which has furnished the apartments. The house is intended for employees of the industrial park resident companies. Over 100 apartments have already been reserved.
According to Tian Jiaqi, head of the office of the 25th company of the China Railway Construction Corporation, the house was built in compliance with Belarusian standards and using mostly Belarusian materials (80%). The heating system uses a geothermal heat pump which is common in China but new to Belarus.
According to Aleksandr Yaroshenko, head of the administration of the industrial park, the commissioning of the first residential house means that the Great Stone is not only an industrial park but also an eco-city designed both for comfortable work and living. “We are not going to rest on our laurels,” he said. “We intend to build a whole residential block with all the necessary facilities: a kindergarten, a school, a hospital.” According to Aleksandr Yaroshenko, in three to five years the Great Stone will be home to about 6,000 people.