City Board to be given an account of the relocation of Espoonlahti swimming pool next to current swimming pool
On 22 September, Olli Isotalo, Deputy Mayor for Urban Environment of Espoo, will speak to the City Board about the possible location of the new Espoonlahti swimming pool. In the feasibility study carried out by the City, extensive examinations have been conducted to find a site for the new swimming pool. In the study, the plot of the Espoonlahti day care centre next to the current swimming pool is considered to be the best location as a whole. The construction of the day care centre on the former plot of the fire station has been examined in the same context.
The location of the new swimming pool would be central and the transport connections would be excellent as the Espoonlahti metro station and bus terminal are situated nearby. It is also easy to get to the site by car, on foot and by bike.
The swimming pool would remain part of the Espoonlahti Sports Park. The location will also make future development of the Sports Park possible, especially if other activities serving the Sports Park can later be implemented on the site of the current swimming pool.
It is also possible to fit the swimming pool complex presented in the previous project plan and the reservation for a diving pool on the site. The locations of the reservations for more extensive outdoor pool areas will be examined in conjunction with preliminary planning.
The construction of the swimming pool requires a change to the local detailed plan
The area assessed is larger than just the plot of the day care centre. It includes the part of the park that is between the day care centre and the ice stadium as well as the current parking area of the swimming pool, for which a parking facility has been planned.
It is possible to designate the plot for the swimming pool, but it requires a change in the local detailed plan, like all of the options examined.
The starting point in the examinations is that the current swimming pool remains in use during the construction of the new swimming pool.
The Espoonlahti swimming pool, which was completed in 1983, has reached the end of its life cycle. The project was originally planned as a renovation and extension project, but was later changed entirely into a new building project.
In March 2025, the City Board of Espoo proposed to the City Council that the new swimming pool be built on the current site. However, the Council returned the matter to preparation and instructed the Board to find an alternative location for the swimming pool and to enable the use of the old swimming pool until the new one can be opened. An annual appropriation for renovation investments has been reserved for the maintenance of the old swimming pool.
The new day care centre could be located on the former plot of the fire station
The construction of the day care centre on the former plot of the fire station in Rehtorintie near Soukanväylä has been examined in conjunction with the examinations for the swimming pool. The fire station has moved to Sammalvuori and the area is currently used as a temporary depot.
The draft plan proposes a day care centre for 12 groups of children to the plot. The plot is large and in addition to the day care centre, there would also be room for other construction projects, such as small-scale housing.
A 10-group daycare centre is also being planned in Laurinlahti. The implementation of the new day care centres responds to the need for early childhood education places in the growing Espoonlahti region.
The new day care centres will replace the day care places that will be lost as a result of the construction of the new swimming pool. It has been estimated that repairing the old and small Espoonlahti day care centre would not be economically viable.
If the locations specified for the swimming pool and the day care centre in the examinations are approved, preliminary planning for both projects will be started as a basis for the required zoning work. The project plan for the Espoonlahti swimming pool requires a change, the preparation of which will be launched simultaneously with the preliminary planning and zoning.