United States government sanctions

Some Menlo Park residents are pushing for U.S. sanctions against Vitaly Yusufov, the Russian owner of a proposed 39-story, three-tower development at 80 Willow Road, the site of the former Sunset Magazine headquarters. Yusufov, who already faces sanctions in Ukraine, is the son of Igor Yusufov, a former Russian energy minister sanctioned in both Ukraine and Canada and estimated by Forbes to be worth roughly $1.1 billion. Residents opposed to the project plan to raise concerns with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, though city officials say they have not yet contacted federal authorities.

Yusufov bought the seven-acre property for $72 million in 2019 and has proposed 665 apartments, a hotel, office space, and a preschool, with the tallest tower reaching 461 feet — potentially the tallest building between San Francisco and Los Angeles. California's Attorney General has challenged Menlo Park's rejection of the project, while the developer argues state housing law requires approval by late October, setting up a dispute that intertwines local zoning fights with broader scrutiny of Kremlin-linked wealth in the U.S.