A new workplace area is being proposed for Hietalahdenranta
The city has reserved the area of Hietalahdenranta for HGR Property Partners Oy for developing a business premises project and for investigating the feasibility conditions further. HGR Property Partners Oy is a Finnish property development and investment company that focuses on significant property development projects located in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The development reservation is valid until 31 December 2024.
The project supports many of the city’s objectives: improving the public space and cityscape, building more office space in the existing urban structure and improving the area’s attractiveness and pleasantness both functionally and commercially. Walking and cycling conditions in the area will be improved, which will contribute to the continuity of the waterfront trail of the whole city centre. More seating areas will be introduced at the waterfront and new trees and other vegetation planted in the area. Flood protection in the coastal zone will also be improved at the same time.
Feedback received through interaction taken into account in the planning
The city wants to develop Hietalahdenranta and its surroundings together with the residents, operators and users of the area. As a term of reservation, the city requires that feedback received through interaction is taken into account in the planning process. Participation in the development of the project has been possible from the early stages of the project.
People could express their views about the preparation of starting points and goals for the planning process in the Voice your opinion survey in September 2020. The material for the Hietalahdanranta survey (in Finnish)(Link leads to external service).
. On the basis of the objectives, three different design solutions were prepared by the reservation holder, which could be evaluated and commented on in the Voice your Opinion service from 17 March until 18 April 2021. The different planning options could be reviewed and commented on via the Voice service your opinion(Link leads to external service) from 17 March to 18 April 2021. A summary of the survey results (pdf, in Finnish).
The online event for Hietalahdenranta residents was held on 26 August 2021. The staring points, process and interaction of planning and the reference plan were introduced at the event. A summary of the things discussed at the event (pdf, in Finnish).
One of the three idea plans (Schauman & Nordgren Architects, MASU Planning and WSP) was selected as the starting point for further planning, based on evaluation by the city’s experts and the development reservation holder. The plan has been further developed based on public comments and experts’ opinions by increasing the size of the basin from the idea plan phase and abandoning the re-routing of car traffic proposed in the earlier phase, and the plan is largely based on the current situation with regard to car traffic.
The point of departure in the idea plan is to create a high-profile business cluster with ground floor services at Hietalahdenranta and to develop the area’s public open spaces – Hietalahdentori, the Hietalahti basin and the seafront – as a high quality pedestrian environment with a wide range of activities.
The estimated volume of new construction will be approximately 39 500 k-m2, of which the development reservation holder will be preliminarily reserved the opportunity to implement around 15 000 to 20 000 k-m². The city will decide on the reservation of the remaining building rights separately at a later stage.
In all three ordered plans the amount of new building is almost the same, about 35,000 floor square metres, half of which would be allocated to the recipient of the reservation. The aim is to continue the city block structure of the city centre and to follow the floor heights typical of the area.
With the exception of one motor vehicle lane, all the motor vehicle lanes in Hietalahdenranta are proposed to be moved to the sea side of the Hietalahti basin. A continuous bicycle and pedestrian way will also be built in Hietalahdenranta. A carpark located below the Hietalahti market square is being planned.
The draft plan for Hietalahdenranta will be available for comments from 6 to 27 May 2024
The updated participation and assessment plan and the plan’s preparatory material (reference plan, draft plan report, draft plan and draft interaction report) are available on Planning-website. The presentation video of the plans and the draft change of the local detailed plan can be viewed for three months on Helsinki Urban Environment Division’s Youtube channel(Link leads to external service).
Once the opinions have been received, the draft local detailed plan will be submitted for discussion by the Urban Environment Committee. Planning will then proceed and a draft plan will be drawn up. The various stages of the planning process and the opportunities for participation are described in more detail in the participation and assessment plan.