YIT and Keva will continue the development of the Maria area, together with the City of Helsinki, with the local detailed plan now confirmed. The most significant part of the newbuilding construction of Maria has been planned in the southern part of the old hospital campus, where YIT and Keva have a shared planning reservation. The plan allows the construction of a new growth and technology company block of approximately 50,000 square metres of floor area. 

A significant start-up and growth company campus is planned for the former Maria hospital campus, and it will also features services open to the city’s residents. The City of Helsinki aims to start the construction of the Maria campus during 2023 with preconstruction, street and demolition work. The area being built will see new municipal engineering and preparations for building a new pedestrian bridge among other things. With regard to the area developed by YIT and Keva, the aim is to start the construction of the first phase in early 2024. 

A significant part of the new building complex will be flexible office and meeting spaces, focusing on start-up and growth companies. Furthermore, the expansion will feature accommodation, restaurants, retail and service space, well-being and sports facilities as well as event spaces. Following the expansion, the campus will feature space for hundreds of tenants and an estimated 5,000 employees.

“The Maria area is one of Europe’s biggest growth company campuses, and we aim to develop it into an internationally significant home of start-ups, growth companies and partner companies. The location in the very centre of Helsinki is excellent. The project has attracted major interest among potential tenants throughout the development, and we aim to find a mutually supplementary group of companies as tenants,” says Juha Kostiainen, Executive Vice President, Sustainable Urban Development at YIT. 

“It is great that we are able to continue to develop the area together. It is significant in many ways and offers opportunities to create a diverse area that is part of the city's everyday life," says Calle Roselius, Head of Real Estate Investments at Keva.