Menlo Park Residents Clash Over Russian-Linked Skyscraper Proposal Amid State Housing Dispute
Menlo Park homeowners are opposing a high-rise mixed-use project by Vitaly Yusufov, while Attorney General Rob Bonta says the city is violating state housing law by blocking it.
A mixed-use complex at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park, California, is being promoted by Vitaly Yusufov, son of former Russian Energy Minister Igor Yusufov, whose family is linked to sanctions. The plan envisions three towers up to 458 feet tall, delivering about 665 residential units and 332,000 square feet of office space on a parcel bought for $72 million in 2018. Local residents, including Maria Kleczewska, fear the project will shadow homes, swell traffic and alter the suburb’s character.
The California Attorney General, Rob Bonta, issued a letter asserting that Menlo Park’s opposition breaches state housing law. Town-hall meetings have become heated, but the development has not been halted. Yusufov’s broader business interests include Nordic Yards Holding Gmbh and a past acquisition of the German shipyard Wadan Yards.
Why it matters
The fight pits local housing concerns against a high-profile development tied to a sanctioned Russian family, highlighting state-level housing policy enforcement.
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