The key premise of the detailed plan revision is the conversion of Savonkatu from a four-lane through-traffic route to a two-lane boulevard similar to those found in the inner city. The change will be made possible by the new Veturitie, on to which north-south car traffic passing through Pasila will be diverted.
The aim is to create more workplaces and high-quality urban housing in the area, which boasts excellent accessibility. The notable green corridor in the centre of the area, the bare rocks and open areas contributing to the distinct cityscape and the visibility of the rocks in the street space have been taken into account in the planning. In fact, one of the key focus areas of the plan solution has been the integration of the denser urban structure and the green corridor.
The plan for the area includes four blocks of business premises, two residential blocks and an underground parking facility. New homes will be built for approximately 750 residents. As regards parks, the aim is to develop high-quality, walking-oriented parks that emphasise the local identity of the area.
Plan proposal was on public display 5 October–3 November 2023
The draft plan was presented to the Urban Environment Division on 19 September 2023, which decided on 26 September 2023 to make it available for public comments.
In its decision, the Urban Environment Division requests that the final design further narrows Savonkatu and moves the buildings along Savonkatu to the west, which will allow Savonpuisto Park to remain slightly wider than proposed. It also requests that the boundary between the Aleksis Kivi street area and the park be reviewed and that an optimum solution be sought in terms of landscape, recreation and stormwater management. The Division also requests that the possibility to build a children’s playground in the area of Saimaanpuistikko and Savonpuisto or support their ability to spend time in the Saimaanpuistikko and Savonpuisto area by some other means be examined.
The following measures have been proposed in the further planning of the draft plan:
- narrowing the street area in the southern part of Savonkatu by 2.6 m
- narrowing KT 12579 office building by 0,5 m
- moving residential block AK 12580 to the west by a total of 3.1 m
- widening Savonpuisto between the residential blocks by the same amount, i.e. 3.1 m
- introducing a new tree row in the middle of the previously treeless northern part of Savonkatu
- narrowing Aleksis Kivi street by 2.8 m
- extending KT 12577 office building and Saimaanpuistikko to the north by the same amount, i.e. 2.8 m
- creating of “street park” with three tree rows on Aleksis Kivi Street
- investigating possibilities to support the ability of children to spend time in Saimaanpuistikko and Savonpuisto areas
In 2017, Helsingin Alppitalo Oy applied for a plan reservation for its plot with the aim of demolishing and replacing the current industrial production and office building with a new residential block. For the rest of the area, planning was initiated in early 2021, when the City of Helsinki granted NCC Property Development Oy a development reservation extending to the end of 2022. On 13 February 2023, a decision was made to extend the development reservation up to 31 December 2024. The recipient of the reservation has been granted a preliminary right to build approximately 45,000 floor m2 of business premises in the reserved area. The City’s aim is to plan the area as a whole, which is why the area subject to the development reservation and the Alppitalo plot have been included in the same detailed plan revision.
The plan for the area includes office, business, educational and residential buildings. The planning architect is JKMM Architects and that for the private Alppitalo plot Huttunen-Lipasti Architects.The aim in regard to the architecture is to create a high-quality and dense urban structure that connects the historical Konepaja area and the new Keski-Pasila area. The plan includes a green zone with bare rocks in between the residential and commercial blocks. The project's landscape designer is Nomaji Landscape Architects.
The development planning of the area’s energy solutions is being carried out in partnership with Helen Oy. In order to achieve high energy efficiency, the focus is on utilising local resources, such as geothermal energy, solar power and solar heating.