U.S. Embassy Compound

Artist's drawing of the embassy compound.

The U.S. Embassy is located adjacent to Lake Yerevan. The site occupies an area of 90,469 sq/m (22 American acres), one of the largest lots on which the U.S. embassy has been built.

The location of the embassy was selected as a result of serious and open discussions with the government of Armenia, during which dozens of sites were evaluated to find one that would best meets the needs of the U.S. and Armenian governments.

The embassy project in Yerevan was budgeted for 80 million USD.

The embassy compound contains a five-story Chancery Building of 13, 470 square meters, a two story annex that houses USAID and GSO with an attached warehouse, and Main and Service Compound Access Control Structures. While the site of the embassy is one of the largest properties the U.S. Department of State owns overseas, the Chancery building is not among the largest diplomatic structures, nor does it have a staff with among the largest number of employees.

The design-build contract was awarded in September 2001. The general contractor was JA Jones Construction, North Carolina, USA, which has retained MLL Industries of Armenia as its main subcontractor.

The Project management was carried out by the Office of Overseas Buildings Operation, U.S. Department of State.

The total workforce of 825 at the project site consisted of 75 Americans, 5 Filipinos, 135 Turks, and 632 Armenians.

The U.S. government paid the prevailing market price of about 5 million USD for acquiring the embassy site from Armenia. The sale agreement included several provisions to ensure that the rights of all parties, both Armenian and American, are protected. The embassy does not block citizen access to Lake Yerevan, which remains the property of the Republic of Armenia.

The need for a new embassy resulted from the tremendous expansion of the U.S. relationship with Armenia in recent years. The embassy complex houses U.S. embassy employees and visitors, both American and Armenian, in safe, secure, and attractive surroundings. The embassy compound also represents a substantial U.S. investment in Armenia's construction industry in terms of specialist training and skills development.

The embassy compound meets the highest architectural and engineering standards to resist blast and earthquake. Numerous review boards, both in the United States and in Armenia, have ensured that it complies with all local building and architectural codes and that it presents the most favorable impression of the United States.