The tendering process for the Science Park deck area connecting Itäharju and Kupittaa is proposed to be launched in summer as a public procurement. The overall plan and the related extensive infrastructure projects will be implemented using an alliance model. The procurement will be sent to the City Board for decision-making before Midsummer.

The Science Park deck procurement package

  • Overall plan for preparing an urban area development plan; will encompass the other sub-entities.
  • Infrastructure project consisting of a deck crossing Helsinginkatu and the railway, and a compulsory parking facility to be built on the Itäharju side.
  • Taito campus of the Turku Vocational Institute receiving synergy benefits from Turku University of Applied Sciences and other campus actors in the region.
  • Additional procurement opportunities (options) as viable parts of the deck project.

The aim of the Science Park deck project is to create a series of urban spaces in the planning zone to form a strong and energetic core for the Science Park. Combining public space and various services, the area will bring more vitality to the Science Park and support the operations of the rapidly growing group of actors in the area.

The objectives are the same as originally set for the Science Park deck project, which is part of Turku Science Park's key project. The aim is to have a high-quality overall plan for the area surrounded by the railway, Kalevanramppi, Kalevantie and Karjakatu that will involve city centre-type construction, tall buildings and versatile hybrid facilities. The Science Park area is very important for the planned One Hour Train connection and other public transport, so in order to improve accessibility and internal mobility, functional solution models are required to integrate the Kupittaa railway station and mobility services with the rest of it.

The visions and objectives remain unchanged, but instead of the previously planned land transfer, the tendering process was decided to be carried out as an alliance procurement. What is also new is the inclusion of the compulsory parking facility and the Turku Vocational Institute's Taito campus in the procurement and the possibility of housing construction.

- There is more allowance on housing now that the demand for other facilities has become more uncertain. On the other hand, the inclusion of the Taito campus makes the city’s role bigger and provides more opportunities for solutions for both the deck and the parking required for the area, says Urban Planning Director Timo Hintsanen.

- With an initial investment by the city, development will be able to take off more quickly. It has been calculated that the invested funds will be returned to the city within 10 to 15 years in the form of sales of building rights, compulsory parking linked to the building permit, parking rights and parking fees, says Science Park Project Director Timo Laine

New urban area development plan and overall land use plan

The procurement planning zone is more than 16 hectares, and it is mostly located in the Itäharju industrial area, which is a variable land use area. It currently includes sections that are in industrial and office use as well as general areas, traffic areas and related road-side areas and temporary parking areas. The majority of the properties are owned by the city, but there also are sections that are privately owned and leased as well as a railway area belonging to the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.

The urban area development plan for the entire planning zone will be reformed in cooperation with landowners

- The infrastructure projects and more detailed planning of the public procurement are focused on the city-owned land areas surrounding the planned deck. The urban area development plan for the entire planning zone will be reformed more extensively on the basis of the overall plan and the further development of the alliance phase in cooperation with landowners, Timo Laine explains.

Planning zone outline.

The planning zone forms a connection for traffic and operations between two sections of the city that are currently fairly separate. As a result of the reforms, Helsinginkatu and the railway are no longer obstacles and Itäharju becomes a natural part of the Science Park area.

The plan is to launch the procurement at the end of June immediately after a decision by the Turku City Board, in which case an open information event will also be arranged for the tendering consortia and the media. The aim is that an alliance formed on the basis of tendering could start its planning work in spring 2022 and that project plans and cost estimates would be included in decision making during 2023.

Turun Tiedepuisto - Turku Science Park, one of the three spearhead projects of the City of Turku, is an important component in developing the attractiveness and competitiveness of the city. The objective of the project is to use new network-like operating models to create a boldly experimental cluster of know-how of international interest that has diverse functions and is logistically attractive.

The area of Science Park, extending from the university campus to the Kupittaa base of jobs and further to Itäharju is the most significant centre of growth for know-how and hi-tech jobs in the urban region. The framework for Science Park development is given by the Turku Science Park’s future image published in 2017, Masterplan 2050.

www.turuntiedepuisto.fi/en

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