One problem has been removed from the planned skating arena in Myllypuro, Helsinki. The new lot does not need a plan change.
Helsinki The location of the skating arena in a new location, Roihupelto, is in a strong tailwind. It is now confirmed that the plot does not need a plan change.
“The plot is suitable. The hall is ready for that,” says the director of sports of the Finnish Skating Association, who is in charge of the ice skating hall project Janne Hänninen.
They started looking for a new place for the ice skating rink, because the residents and nature people were against placing the hall in Myllypuro's Matokallio. Vuosaari came up, but in the negotiations with the city of Helsinki, the Roihupello plot at the corner of Viilarintie and Kauppamyllyntie came up.
A two-hall leisure facility has previously been planned for the same three-hectare plot. WasaGroup received a planning reservation for the area in 2019, but it expired at the end of 2022.
WasaGroup has also participated in the design of Finland's first ice ball hall planned for Malmi, but the project has not progressed.
Next The plans for the skating arena are starting to be negotiated in more detail for the Roihuvuori plot.
“Each lot has its own design requirements. There is something different about that than the Matokallio lot. It's about facade aspects, among other things,” says Hänninen.
When the plans are acceptable from a construction point of view, a development reservation is applied for the plot, or possibly a city loan and lease agreement directly. Hänninen believes that the plans will be completed during the spring.
“We would like this before the summer holidays, when we know that nothing will happen between mid-June and mid-August.”
Hall is not necessarily exactly the same as the one planned for Matokallio. The possibility has also come up that, in addition to the 400-meter speed skating track, the hall would have an ice ball field, among other things.
The ice ball field is still included as an option. If we end up with an ice ball field, the hall would also have movable light troughs. They are not suitable, for example, for adult ice hockey.
“This still needs to be mapped out, how we can best get the economic equation to work”, Hänninen states.
The price tag of the skating arena still has the same “pain limit” as before, 26 million euros. Excavation on the new plot is eliminated, which saves costs.
Because the search for a new plot has delayed the project, the start of construction is also delayed. For example, the Ministry of Education and Culture's sports venue grant must be applied for by the end of the year.
Now the application is supposed to be submitted by the end of this year, when the decision will come in the spring of 2025.
If the decision is positive, construction could start in the summer of 2025 at the earliest, and in the best case, the arena would
be ready at the turn of 2026–2027.
Read more: A surprising twist: a completely new location was found for Helsinki's skating arena
Read more: An urban ecologist criticizes Matokallio's plans
Read more: The crises stopped the ambitious hall project planned for Malmi
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