The foundation stone was laid today, on 3 February, for the extension of Iso Omena Shopping Centre in Matinkylä, Espoo, and the feeder traffic terminal of Matinkylä metro station situated beneath it, in a ceremony held on the projects' joint construction site. The event was organised by Citycon and NCC, the construction companies jointly responsible for executing the shopping centre extension, along with West Metro and the City of Espoo. A speech was given at the ceremony by Alexander Stubb, Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade.
The leasable commercial area of Iso Omena Shopping Centre will increase from 50,000 sq.m to over 75,000 sq.m. in this renovation and extension project that began last summer. The terminal station in phase one of the Helsinki western metro line, the bus terminal for feeder traffic and parking for commuter traffic will be situated beneath the shopping centre. All of them will provide a direct connection to the shopping centre.
The renovated Iso Omena will have more than 200 different stores and services. The centre's fashion, entertainment, well-being, restaurant and café offering, in particular, will become very diversified with an inviting atmosphere. The extension will also house a new kind of Service Square run by the City of Espoo that combines many public services in the same premises.
"This project is an excellent example of a successful combination of public and private services. Especially our customers will benefit from having private and public services situated in one location, easily accessible by several modes of transport ", says Sanna Yliniemi, Commercial Director at Citycon.
"The shopping centre extension and the future metro centre comprise a significant project in new regional construction, creating a versatile city centre for Espoo residents and at the same time a modern shopping centre that serves the entire metropolitan area and enables easy transactions. During construction, the project will provide work for an average of 1,000 people, and it will be an important employer even after its completion", says Tero Estovirta, Managing Director of NCC Property Development.
First platinum-level LEED shopping centre in Finland
Citycon and NCC have decided to apply for the highest, platinum-level LEED environmental certificate for the ongoing extension project of the shopping centre, the first Finnish enterprises to do so.
LEED certification, granted by U.S. Green Building Council provides independent, third-party verification on the environmental effects of buildings or development projects.
"We have an excellent basis for a LEED certificate, because Iso Omena is in the heart of where people live and work and close to excellent public transportation. In addition, Iso Omena will have 600 square metres of solar panels, a green roof, water-saving taps, as well as LED light fixtures in the hallways and the car park. All waste generated during construction will be sorted", says Marko Juhokas, Senior Vice President of Development and Sustainability at Citycon.
The renewed Iso Omena Shopping Centre will be fully open in the spring of 2016, while sections relating to the metro station and bus terminal will be finished in late 2015, simultaneously with the metro project.
"Matinkylä Metro Centre and the surroundings of Iso Omena Shopping Centre are well on their way to becoming a city centre for the whole region. A Service Square for the City will be opened on the third floor of the metro centre, which will house a regional library, a health centre, a child welfare clinic, an outpatient clinic for young people, and a municipal customer service point. Furthermore, the streets around the metro centre will see significant improvements in the near future. For instance, a bridge widening project for Piispansilta is currently underway. Construction in the area will be carried out so that the necessary connections, buildings and services will be available when the metro begins to carry passengers in early 2016", says Olavi Louko, Director of Technical Services in Espoo and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Länsimetro Oy.
For further information, please contact:
Citycon, Sanna Yliniemi, Commercial Director,
tel. +358 41 456 3421
Citycon, Marko Juhokas, Senior Vice President of Development and Sustainability,
tel. +358 40 735 4997
NCC Property Development, Tero Estovirta, Managing Director,
tel. +358 50 593 6194
Olavi Louko, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Länsimetro Oy and Director of Technical Services in Espoo,
tel. +358 500 607 754