YIT signs a letter of intent on the development and implementation of an ice sports centre

YIT has signed a letter of intent with Myllypuron Jääurheilukeskus Oy and Caverion Finland Ltd. Myllypuron Jääurheilukeskus Oy is owned by the Finnish Speed Skating Association and the Finnish Figure Skating Association. The letter of intent covers the project development phase from February 1 to December 31, 2019. During this phase, the aim is to develop the multipurpose arena’s technical plan with regard to investments as well as operational economy. The size of the project is slightly under EUR 20 million.

“We are pleased to have a reliable partner that has extensive experience in building sports arenas. This letter of intent is a big step forward for the project,” says Janne Hänninen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company established to develop and own the arena.

The project plan is based on building the arena in Myllypuro district in eastern Helsinki. A planning reservation has not yet been made for the plot in question, but negotiations with the City of Helsinki will begin during the first half of 2019.

The arena is intended to be a training centre for speed skating as well as figure skating. The new arena will ease the ice-time shortage in the Helsinki metropolitan area while also being of particular significance at the national level.

Due to the lack of an arena in Finland that meets the international standards, Finnish speed skaters have had to travel abroad in search of appropriate training conditions. At the same time, figure skaters, like athletes in many other ice sports, have had to compromise on their ice-time and training conditions due to the growing shortage of ice-time. The same goes for short track speed skating, which is very popular around the world.

The plans for the multipurpose arena include a 400-metre speed skating track, a 427-metre running track, a fitness centre, two mirror rooms for off-ice training as well as facilities that can be used for hosting corporate events and seminars, for example. Stands with seating capacity for approximately 2,000 spectators would make it possible to organise events such as the European Championships and World Championships of speed skating in Finland. 

“The multipurpose arena for ice sports is a continuation of our activities related to the construction of sports facilities. We are currently also building and renovating the Kuntolaakso indoor swimming arena and ice rink in Kuopio. We will be able to take advantage of our experiences and the lessons we have learned there as we work together with the customer and partners to achieve the best possible outcome in this project,” says Petri Saarinen, Vice President, Structural Engineering, at YIT.

“We have invested in implementing environmentally-friendly energy and refrigeration systems and constructing systems that utilise carbon dioxide, among other things. We can utilise this expertise in this unique project. With the help of our 24/7 remote control services, we can guarantee the agreed conditions for the users of the hall and be certain that the systems function,” says Ville Tamminen, Head of Division at Caverion.

The ice sports arena project is part of the 2019–2022 financing plan for sports facilities of national significance presented to the Ministry of Education and Culture by the Finnish Olympic Committee.

For further information, please contact:  

Anne Piiparinen, Senior Vice President, YIT Finland Ltd, tel. +358 40 823 2808, anne.piiparinen@yit.fi  

Anna Leino, Communications Manager, Group Communications, YIT Corporation, tel. +358 50 384 5797, anna.leino@yit.fi  

Janne Hänninen, Chairman, Myllypuron Jääurheilukeskus Oy; Sports Director, Finnish Speed Skating Association, tel. +358 40 553 3388, janne.hanninen@luisteluliitto.fi 

Kirsi Hemmilä, Communications manager, Caverion Suomi Oy, tel. +358 50 390 0941, kirsi.hemmila@caverion.com

YIT is the largest Finnish and significant North European construction company. We develop and build apartments and living services, business premises and entire areas. We are also specialised in demanding infrastructure construction and paving. Together with our customers, our nearly 10,000 professionals are creating more functional, attractive and sustainable cities and environments. We work in 11 countries: Finland, Russia, Scandinavia, the Baltic States, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland. The new YIT was born when over 100-year-old YIT Corporation and Lemminkäinen Corporation merged on February 1, 2018. Our pro forma revenue for 2018 was approximately EUR 3.8 billion. YIT Corporation's share is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Oy. www.yitgroup.com  

Caverion provides smart technical solutions and services for buildings, industrial processes and infrastructure. Our unique service offering covers the entire life cycle: design, build and maintenance. Our vision is to be the first choice in digitalising environments for customers, employees, partners and investors. Our revenue in 2018 was approximately EUR 2.2 billion. Caverion has about 15,000 employees in 10 countries in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. Caverion’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. www.caverion.com Twitter: @CaverionGroup