At the turn of the year 2014/2015 Atrium Ljungberg and Järfälla municipality commenced their joint work on developing a regional meeting place in Barkarbystaden - BAS Barkarby. The physical design of the district has started to take shape and the specialisation is clear; here learning, culture and sports, combined with service, offices and workplaces will gather and collaborate to strengthen the regional competitiveness and fulfil the need of knowledge development, competence provision and innovation capacity. The municipal executive board’s decision on Järfälla municipality renting roughly half of the first phase of BAS Barkarby is a further step towards the vision becoming a reality.

“The municipality’s operations are an important base for continuing to fill BAS Barkarby with exciting content. We are very happy about being a part of the development of Barkarbystaden which will experience strong growth over the coming years with residentials, workplaces and new attractions,” says Annica Ånäs, CEO of Atrium Ljungberg.

The lease contract covers premises of approximately 6,500 m2 for education and approximately 4,300 m2 for cultural and leisure activities. The intention is for all higher education preparatory upper secondary school programmes in the municipality to gather in BAS Barkarby which will be able to accommodate approximately 950 students. The cultural and leisure area will comprise of a public library, a multi-purpose hall for sports and exhibitions with seats for approximately 500 persons, project workshops, dance hall and art gallery. In addition to the municipality’s operations, there are also plans for higher education, offices, restaurants, cafés and a gym. The lease contract is conditional on the approved detailed development plan and land transfer agreement as well as investment decisions in Atrium Ljungberg’s Board of Directors. Construction is planned to start during the first quarter of 2017 and occupancy is expected to take place in June 2019.

“This is an important decision for the future. Järfälla municipality is expanding and a completely new city district will emerge in Barkarbystaden. BAS Barkarby will lie at the heart of the vibrant urban environment which we are now creating around the new traffic hub of western Stockholm. It will be an attractive, regional meeting place for higher education, businesses as well as cultural and leisure activities where people want to be, meet and develop together,” says Claes Thunblad, Chairman of the municipal executive board of Järfälla.

Entire BAS Barkarby will be constructed in two phases of a total development right of approximately 50,000 sqm. Phase 2 will contain one hundred residential properties and a hotel. The preliminary construction start for the second phase is the turn of the year 2020/2021.

“We are continuing to build dynamic urban environments with mixed content, completely in line with our vision and our strategies,” concludes Annica Ånäs.