California city fumes over planned skyscraper linked to Russian oligarch
A wealthy California city is in revolt after the son of a Putin-aligned Russian oligarch demanded approval to build a gigantic skyscraper in the middle of their quiet suburb.
Residents from Menlo Park, near San Jose, are opposing the 80 Willow Road project that is owned by Vitaly Yusufov –– the son of former Energy Minister Igor Yusufov.
Attorney General Rob Bonta, however, essentially backed the project after his office sent a letter to Menlo Park asserting that the city was violating state housing laws in stalling the plans.
Resident Maria Kleczewska said: “I urge you to fight the 80 Willow project despite the risk of massive legal fees. This project will be the ruin of our beautiful city.”
“How many residents will be looking at that monstrosity from their streets and yards instead of the open sky and trees that we love to see? How many houses will be in shadow? How many streets will experience a dramatic increase in traffic?”
“Argue back at the Attorney General. He ain’t the only lawyer in town. Reject the developer’s deadline. Who died and made him God?” another resident said.
The former Russian Energy Minister was worth about $1.1 billion, according to Forbes, and is the founder of an investment vehicle called Fund Energy.
The billionaire is sanctioned by international countries such as Canada and Ukraine, but his name has been notably absent from the US and the European Union.
The 80 Willow Road property was purchased for $72 million in 2018 and is located on a 6.7 acre site. The project is planning on constructing around 665 residential units, 332,000 square feet of office, three buildings ranging from 301 to 458 feet tall, and more.
Previously, the oligarch’s son purchased a German shipbuilding company called the Wadan Yards in 2009 after then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel helped broker a deal.
Residents are also voicing opposition against the plan due to potential environmental impacts.
A group called Menlo Forward that was created to oppose the 80 Willow Road project wrote that the “environmental impact of such an immense project right next to the San Francisquito Creek cannot be ignored.”
“The need for housing across the region is serious and demands serious proposals to address the shortage — but proposals such as this, that include buildings taller than any in San Jose, undermine the good work of housing advocates and create more problems than they address and should not be seriously considered,” the group also wrote on their website.
Under California law, every city needs to turn in its housing plan to the state on time. 80 Willow may normally violate the city’s building codes but Menlo Park failed to turn in its housing plan.
Since Menlo Park missed the deadline, Yusufov can proceed with his plan under the Builder’s Remedy –– but only if he includes a portion of his units as subsidized housing.
The city council is set to hold a special meeting on Tuesday to discuss the attorney general’s letter and to formulate a response after the project’s developer set an October 27 deadline for approval.
The Attorney General’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Post.