Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2013 | Page 43

The Centre, scheduled for completion in 2019, will provide all-round service to both local residents and travellers. Services will include convenience goods and speciality shops, a comprehensive restaurant section, the travel centre with ticket offices and a new local bus terminal as well as a citizen services office for the City of Vantaa. Tapio Salo points out that the improved traffic connections alone are something that makes a difference in many people’s lives. “We will build the bus terminal in connection to the railway station and boost the service level for passengers,” Salo says, adding that finding better, smarter solutions for public transportation is one of the strong suites for YIT. “Handling great passenger volumes is a demanding task and we want to make transportation as easy and comfortable as possible,” Salo promises. Making Progress The Tikkurila office and retail centre will be built in three phases, the first of which will be completed late in 2014 together with a three-storey parking garage for 500 vehicles. “We started the work for the first phase in mid-October and are making good progress with ground work,” Salo reports in late December. All and all, the phase one will encompass 14,000 m² of leasable space. In addition to championing the cause of mass transport, YIT is also making an ef- fort to raise an environmentally conscious complex. A gold rating according to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) environmental certification system is being sought for the centre. Salo explains that the Gold Level will be achieved by making greener choices all across the board. “For example, with regards to air conditioning, we can now control the system more intricately via drives, gaining energy savings through more efficient planning and usage.” Pedestrian’s Delight According to the plans, Tikkurila will experience a remarkable transformation into an atmospheric walking district. Next to the city hall – which will also receive a beauty treatment – there will be a new marketplace, the Tikkurila square and Tikkurila park, which will have a playground, skateboarding and parkour areas and space for a stage. In addition, six apartment buildings for 500 people, a church and two parking garages will be built in the immediate area. What this means is that in the coming years there will be several construction sites active at the same time – but the end result should be well worth the wait. As it turns out, phones have been ringing very actively at YIT and interest towards the Centre’s premises has skyrocketed. “In terms of leasable space for the shopping centre, we should have a 100 % occupancy by the summer,” Salo says, adding that this type of high-quality commercial space isn’t hard to fill even during an economic downturn. On the office side, the numbers aren’t as high but still show promise: “We have leased out around 40 % of the offices, which is good, taking into account that construction has been underway for only a couple of months.” Getting to Know the Property Ultimately, YIT is looking to sell the centre, and preparations are taken to make this possible somewhere down