Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2018 | Page 46

Big on Experience
I
n the coming years, Turku’s rail yard and
train station area may well become home
to Finland’s largest experience and event
centre. The Turku Rail Yard project is an
ambitious urban development concept for
the 2020s, combining top-level technology
and service design to create world-class
experiences and events as well as boost the
wellbeing of the citizens. The total cost for
the project is estimated to be approximately
€480 million.
The preparatory survey for Turku
Rail Yard project was concluded in sum-
mer 2017. The aim of the project is to cre-
ate a domestically and internationally attrac-
tive experience and event concentration in
Turku.
“The new project is perfectly in line
with the current trends that focus on experi-
ence and entertainment, adding to the ‘soft’
attraction of the city,” says Jouko Turto,
46 Nordicum
Director of Turku Municipal Property Cor-
poration.
The core of the plans is formed by an
eye-popping experience centre and a new,
10,000 seat multipurpose arena. The experi-
ence centre will support family-holiday tour-
ism, and the plans include an indoor amuse-
ment park and a playground; the multipur-
pose arena will be the heart of the event
organisation and host domestic and inter-
national events, such as concerts, business
events, eSports, festivals and ice sports
events. The plans also include a tower hotel
in the area to support tourism.
The project has gained a lot of expo-
sure since it has an impressive list of back-
ers, featuring Ilkka Paananen and Mikko
Kodisoja from Supercell and NHL legend
Saku Koivu. The trio has commented that
they want to be part of developing Turku as
an attractive centre for business and trade,
housing, culture and tourism. Hailing from
Turku, they also see the project as an excel-
lent opportunity for the comprehensive
development of their home city.
The original push for the project came
from national railway operator VR Group.
Currently, much of the area in question is
no longer in VR Group’s use, and various
options have been discussed with the City
on how the rail yard could be developed.
VR Group is eager to move forward with
the plan which will also be heavily based
on Turku’s visions on how the city should
be developed.
The project’s preparatory survey will
function as the development plan which will
initiate the concrete discussions between the
different parties involved in realising the pro-
ject. When the city centre expands into Turku’s
rail yard, it will also create a new neighbour-
hood of approximately 1,000 residents. l