Sponda Plc Press release 11 May 2017 at 11:00 a.m.
Ratina shopping centre in central Tampere reaches rooftop height
The Ratina shopping centre, which is being developed by Sponda and will open in central Tampere in spring 2018, is holding its topping out ceremony today. The largest shopping centre in Tampere will include approximately 53,000 square metres of retail and service premises with more than 150 businesses.
"The construction of Ratina started in spring 2015, and it has progressed according to schedule. In one year, we get to celebrate the opening of our largest property development project to date. The shopping centre will be a diverse hub for recreation and entertainment in the Pirkanmaa region," says Kari Inkinen, President and CEO at Sponda.
The landmark of the shopping centre is a 45-metre Periscope that overlooks a splendid view of the Tammerkoski rapids and the city centre. Ratina will also have modern parking facilities for 1,215 cars. Due to its central location, Ratina is easily accessible by foot, bicycle, car or public transportation.
The total investment in the project is around EUR 240 million and, by the end of March, the investments totalled approximately EUR 124 million. The pre-let rate for the new shopping centre section is approximately 58 per cent. The Ratina complex includes two properties intended mainly for use as office and service premises that will be renovated. The pre-let rate for the whole complex now stands at approximately 47 per cent.
Ratina attracts new businesses to Pirkanmaa
The Ratina shopping centre will house both well-known brands and entirely new businesses that do not yet operate in Tampere. The aim is to build the most extensive mix in Ratina, Pirkanmaa. The shopping centre will have 17,000 square metres of fashion shops, a 6,000 square metres of cafes and restaurants, two large grocery stores, several shops for household and leisure goods, and beauty and well-being services. In addition to the extensive range of services and restaurants, the shopping centre is also an excellent venue for holding different events and performances.
"The shopping centre and the surrounding areas offer a prime setting for a range of leisurely activities, shopping and events. We want to be part of creating a new urban culture in Tampere. We have started negotiations with several potential co-operation partners in order to make our event offering as diverse as possible," says Mervi Ahola, Shopping Centre Manager at Ratina.
In the Ratina project, the minimising of environmental impacts has been taken into account already at the construction stage and all the electricity used on site is renewable. The cooling of the shopping centre will utilise the cool water masses that flow through Ratina Bay, and the heat generated by the refrigeration equipment of shops will be utilised in heating the property. Warm air that has circulated through the interior of the shopping centre will be used to heat the parking facilities. The planning stage of the shopping centre has been certified with a BREEAM® Very Good environmental certificate. Certification work will continue during the construction stage.
In addition to Ratina, Sponda owns five other shopping centres in Finland. The total leasable area in the shopping centres is around 202,000 m 2 and they are located in the Helsinki, Tampere and Oulu regions.
Sponda Plc Additional information: Kari Inkinen, President and CEO, +358 (0)400 402 653
Sponda Plc is a property investment company specialising in commercial properties in the largest cities in Finland. Sponda's business concept is to own, lease and develop retail and office properties and shopping centres into environments that promote the business success of its clients. The fair value of Sponda's investment properties is approximately EUR 3.8 billion and the leasable area is around 1.2 million m 2 .
Attachments:A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...dc9672fa1e
Attachments:A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...3c1d7a762f
Attachments:A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...fb7757daa4
