Espoo is selling an office plot in Keilaniemi to Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company

2.6.2023 12.21
Conceptual rendering. The picture shows a wooden office building.
When completed, Varma’s wooden office building will be an impressive part of Keilaniemi.Photo: Arco Architecture Company

The City of Espoo is selling an office plot in Keilaniemi to Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company. This is a long-planned sustainable construction project that will rise at the hub of rail traffic in Keilaniemi. The construction work is scheduled to start in June 2023.

The City of Espoo and Varma have negotiated the sale of a plot of land in Keilaniemi. The Trade and Competitiveness Division of the Espoo City Board will decide on the deal at its meeting on Monday, 5 June.

The selling price is €12.4 million. 

The office building is planned to rise along Keilalahdentie next to Ring I and Länsiväylä. The plot has a surface area of around 5,747 m² and a building capacity of 20,000 m2.

The project will contribute to Espoo’s carbon neutrality goals through sustainable construction. The office building planned by Varma will be made of wood, and an environmental certificate will be applied for the building. The distinctively designed building will also feature a green roof, which will add to the individuality of the area. The building will be located at the hub of rail traffic, in the immediate vicinity of the metro and the Jokeri Light Rail terminus, thus also supporting sustainable mobility. The project bears the name Keilaniemen Portti.

The plot of land is designated as a commercial and office building quarter in the legally valid local detailed plan. It has been reserved for Varma since 2018, after which planning work was also initiated. The plan entered into force in March 2021, and a building permit was granted in December 2021.

Construction takes into account the underground parking facility planned for the area

The implementation agreement defines the responsibilities and obligations of the project and regulates the cooperation between the city and Varma. The agreement was approved by the City Board on 22 May 2023.

Varma will implement the plans for Keilalahdentie and the park area, including temporary arrangements. The city will contribute to the costs of the implementation. This arrangement will speed up the process of completing the narrow area.

A street and park plan has been drawn up for Keilalahdentie and the park, and it was approved by the Technical Services Committee in 2021.

The implementation agreement also specifically mentions the implementation of the southern entrance of the planned Keilaniemi central parking facility on the plot. Negotiations on the construction of the parking facility are ongoing, and the aim is for the City Board to make a decision on the matter next autumn.

In the Keilaniemen Portti project, about one third of the parking spaces will be located in the project’s own underground parking facility. The remaining two thirds of the parking spaces are planned to be located in the central parking facility.

Keilaniemi will grow significantly in the coming years as more office space is built in the area. In addition, plans are underway for residential buildings and a hotel. Underground parking would streamline traffic flow and promote diverse mobility in the area, while freeing up space on the street level. Part of the parking facility is also designed to serve as a civil defence shelter.

  • Urban development
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