Sponda Plc Press release 27 June 2008 at 12.30
Topping out for Sponda's Ruoholahden Tähti office building
The Ruoholahden Tähti (Ruoholahti Star) office building in Ruoholahti,
Helsinki, which is being built by Sponda Plc, has reach its full height.
Construction of the office building, due for completion in autumn 2008, has
progressed according to plan and the topping out ceremony was held at the site
on Thursday, 26 June 2008.
The five-storey Ruoholahden Tähti is being built close to the Ruoholahti
shopping centre on the site of Alko's old high-bay warehouse. The property will
contain 13,000 square metres of high quality office premises, which are equally
suitable for head office use and smaller businesses. The five storey car park
under the building has space for 1500 vehicles.
The property is fully leased and the main tenants will be Altia Corporation and
Diacor Terveyspalvelut Oy. Altia Corporation, an international alcoholic
beverages company, will move its head office from Salmisaari to the new
premises being built in Ruoholahti. The premises can also accommodate hospital
functions, for Diacor Terveyspalvelut Oy is opening a clinic and day hospital
in the office building.
Ruoholahti has become an area for new technology jobs
Ruoholahti has developed from an old industrial area into an area offering new
technology jobs, and more than half the current jobs in the area represent
high-tech sectors. The existing old red brick industrial buildings have been
converted into business premises for companies and government. The
Salmisaarentalo building, for example, obtained a new life when Sponda
renovated the old industrial building and turned it into modern premises for
the Helsinki Court House.
Appreciation of Ruoholahti, both as a place to work and as an area to live, has
risen considerably, and it has become a busy, lively district by the sea. Its
outstanding location close to Helsinki's central business district, excellent
transport connections, and versatile services have attracted many companies to
the area.
Sponda is a major owner of business premises in Ruoholahti
After Ruoholahden Tähti is finished Sponda will own almost 170,000 square
metres of leasable premises in Ruoholahti. The largest property is the Helsinki
Court House, which has almost 50,000 square metres. Other large properties
owned by Sponda in the district include the Ruoholahti shopping centre and the
office buildings Ruoholahden Poijut, Ruoholahden Sulka and Itämerentalo, by the
Lauttasaari bridge.
Sponda Plc
Further information:
Joni Mikkola, Senior Vice President, tel. +358 (0)40 518 1217
Veli-Pekka Tanhuanpää, Director, Project Development, tel. +358(0)40 700 9646
Sponda Plc is a real estate company specializing in commercial properties in
the largest cities in Finland and in Russia. Sponda's business concept is to
own, lease and develop office, retail and logistics properties into
environments that promote the business success of its clients. The fair value
of Sponda's investment properties is approximately EUR 2.7 billion euros and
the leasable area is around 1.4 million m².
