A variety of apartment housing, an island block, and a new small marina are being planned for Puotilanranta. A new park and outdoor trails will be built along the shore of Vartiokylälahti Bay, which will complement the existing, circular route around the bay. A daycare centre, a grocery store, two parking garages will also be built in the area, and the apartment buildings will have street-level business premises.
The Puotilanranta plan has been specified in the draft stage with feedback from residents, among others. Residents have raised particular concerns about the impact of such construction on the Vartiokylänlahti Bay environment and its underwater nature.
Current condition of Vartiokylänlahti Bay is poor
The impacts of construction on the underwater nature of Vartiokylänlahti Bay and its shores have been widely studied during the drafting stage. The shore of the Puotila Marina will be rebuilt and restored to a more natural state. It will have a gentle slope, which creates a variety of habitats for plant-life and fishes. Marjaniemenpuro Creek will be restored into a natural stormwater and estuary park, to keep stormwater flows from negatively impacting the water quality in the bay.
With the new plan, roughly one fourth of the current small boat storage spaces will be going away. Less boating reduces the negative impacts on the nature of Vartiokylänlahti Bay. After the Puotilanranta residential area is built, the marina will feature 400 spots on the piers and 200 spots for winter storage. There are additional plans to expand the Vuosaarenlahti Marina, which will boost the overall number of boat spots in East Helsinki.
Island block closer to the shore
One block at Puotilanranta will be placed on Vartiokylänlahti Bay and linked to the mainland with bridges. The island block is smaller than in previous drafts, due to which it will not extend as far on the Bay.
An architectural competition was held for the island block during the preparatory stage, in which the winner would have implemented the block entirely, all the way from early construction. This proved to be a challenging task in the current economy, and no proposals were submitted for the competition. The city continues to plan the island bock and a new competition is intended to be held after the plan has been approved.
The Urban Environment Committee will consider the Puotilanranta draft plan on Tuesday, 12 November 2024. Construction in the area is estimated to begin no earlier than towards the end of the decade.
