The property investment company Sponda Plc and Talentum Plc have signed an agreement on an office building to be developed in the Ruoholahti district of Helsinki. Talentum's head office will move to the new premises from Kamppi in Helsinki. The new development will comprise nearly 6,000 m² of floor space at Itämerenkatu 23, a location currently occupied by the Kuntotalo building. Over 70% of the building will be leased to Talentum.
Construction of the office building is set to begin in August 2011 and the project is scheduled for completion in April 2013. The project's total investment is estimated at approximately 23.5 million, inclusive of the value of the current building at the location, which will be demolished.
The first phase of the project will be the demolition of the Kuntotalo building. Built in 1976, the Kuntotalo building was originally intended for use as a recreational facility for the personnel of the state-run alcohol retail monopoly Alko. In subsequent years the building has also been used, among other things, as a school and a swimming hall. The building is in poor condition and will be demolished. The basement levels, however, will be retained, with the new building constructed on top of them. The basement levels will house the parking facility for the new office building.
Energy efficiency and environmentally-friendly solutions will be emphasized in the design and construction of the new four-story building. Particular attention will be paid to optimizing energy consumption during the use of the building by choosing housing solutions with the least environmental impact. International environmental certification will be sought for the building. Upon completion, it will also be part of Sponda's energy efficiency program, which is Sponda's initiative for striving for energy conservation in partnership with its clients.
The location of the office in the vicinity of the metro station offers excellent public transportation connections. This further enables the use of environmentally friendly alternatives to commuting in private cars.
Sponda has numerous property development projects in progress
The recovery in the demand for commercial premises in late 2010 has resulted in increased activity in Sponda's property development operations. In the beginning of 2011 the company began work on expanding the Zeppelin shopping complex in Oulu. Another new project nearing its launch is the renovation of an office and retail premises building on Hämeenkatu in Tampere.
In addition to these, Sponda's active projects include the renovation of the City-Center business and shopping complex in Helsinki's central business district. Work was completed in late February on a new production facility for Metso in the Hakkila district of Vantaa. Sponda is also renovating office premises for Metso in the Honkatalo building adjacent to the new production facility.
Source: GlobeNewswire
