Deck and Multipurpose Arena
improve accessibility of the city centre from all distances. The new Deck and Multipurpose Arena is an ambitious development project which is to be raised on top of existing railway tracks in the heart of the city. The 110,000 square metre entity will hold a multi-purpose arena with capacity for 13,500 people, office blocks topped by residential towers, a hotel and a casino. Construction is expected to start in the spring of 2017.
According to Tenhunen, the deck construction will bring welcome cohesion into the city structure that is now being divided by tracks. In the process, a totally new city district will emerge.
“ We feel that the Travel and Service Centre will be the Ground Zero, of sorts, for this development. Hybrid construction is one of the key drivers here, since the City wants to achieve a well-balanced mix that will add diversity into the downtown area.”
Tram Plan Approved
Looking at the big development picture, Tenhunen talks about the City’ s“ Five Star City Centre” concept which calls for urban appeal, high quality, diversity, attraction and originality – and, from the looks of it, the City is about to add another star to the roster. On 7 November 2016, the City Council decided to build a tramline in Tampere. The first phase of the tramway infrastructure( featuring 15 kilometres of tracks) is now approved, with work to start in 2017. It is estimated that tram traffic from univercity, business campus and superb Hervanta to the city centre and from the city centre to the central university hospital TAYS will start in 2021.
The total budget for the first section of the tramline is € 238.8 million, with the State supporting the first construction phase with € 71 million. The target cost of the first part is a tender binding the parties of the
Photo: City of Tampere / Studio Daniel Libeskind 2010 and 2011 Photo: City of Tampere / COBE Aps ja Lunden Architecture Oy 2014
construction alliance. The Tramway alliance is composed of the City of Tampere, VR Track, YIT Construction Services and Pöyry Finland.
Platform for Greatness
Tero Tenhunen believes that introducing a new form of public transportation into the community will provide a great testing ground for smart mobility solutions, as well as smart building and smart infrastructure solutions.
“ It is important that we rethink public transportation, since the city is growing for years and decades to come,” he says. Indeed, Tampere is clearly on a winning streak when it comes to attracting people, companies and investments – and new decisions are made to build on that momentum.
Businesses – both big and small – have flocked to the Region, drawn by Tampere’ s great location, traffic connections and versatile commercial services. Furthermore, the local universities make sure that there is sufficient brain power and international networks for the companies establishing operations here.
“ Tampere is ready to help companies take their operations into the next level,” Tenhunen adds. l
Tampere Travel and Service Centre Nordicum
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