Developments | Lahti Business Region

Involved in growth and development

The Lahti Business Region is an attractive and evolving environment that is ready for new experiments and bold ideas.

Its central location in the logistics zone of Southern Finland, diverse business scene, communal business networks and interesting city culture create opportunities for growth.

The Lahti region offers interesting development projects and a wide range of business opportunities.

Paavola

Multiple significant renovation and new construction projects are simultaneously underway in the area; old properties are being demolished from a central location, freeing up land for extensive new residential, service and commercial construction. The area has been specifically designed for tall buildings.

The regenerating Paavola offers an opportunity to pilot solutions for e.g. renewable energy, energy efficiency, low-carbon building materials, reuse and dismantlability of building components, as well as other circular economy products.

Important cultural functions, such as Lahti City Theatre, the city library and the new Lahti Museum of Visual Arts Malva, as well as a major learning centre, Paavola Campus, are located in and around Paavola.

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Block 42

Luhta-Kiinteistöt has eight separate plots in block 42, with a total building right of approximately 37,000 m² of floor space. The area has a valid zoning plan and a building permit for a hotel. The plan includes an 18-floor tower house at the corner of Kauppakatu and Kulmakatu.

Luhta-kiinteistöt has sold two plots to Kesko, which will build a new hypermarket to replace the old Citymarket in Paavola. For the rest of the project, Luhta-Kiinteistöt has a cooperation agreement with NCC, which, in addition to the hotel, includes residential construction and the renovation of an office building.

Furthermore, the former Terveystalo and Kela plots are also located in block 42, and they are now intented for a diverse combination of residential, service and commercial development.

Download Luhta-Kiinteistöt brochure

ISKU block

In Paavola's ISKU block, in the area between Kauppakatu and Saimaankatu, plans are in place to build ten blocks of flats. One of these will have 16 floors, two will have 12 floors and the rest will have eight floors. In addition, the plan is to build a 5-level car park at the corner of Seponkatu and Saimaankatu.

The block has a building right of 40,150 m² of floorspace. The plan is to develop the block in stages from north to south.

An inner courtyard of nearly half a hectare with green areas has been designed for the centre of the block.

Picture: Arkkitehtitoimisto Ilkka Ridanpää Oy

SAMMONKATU 8

Sammonkatu 8 offers new opportunities in an existing setting. Homes, office spaces and business facilities can be built in the old, protected factory premises.

Häkli's old furniture factory, owned by Spatium Toimitilat, will be completely renovated. In the facilities located opposite the ISKU block, parallel to Kauppakatu, a total of 7000 m² of commercial premises of various sizes will be renovated for various types of business. The facilities are spread across four floors. New techniques connected to ecology and circular economy will be utilised in the construction and renovation of these premises.

Additional construction is also planned on the same plot, including 8-floor block of flats and smaller townhouses.

Get to know Sammon8 (FIN)

Salpausselkä Sport Park

The Lahti Sports Centre, Kisapuisto Sports Park and Ranta-Kartano area form an active sports and fitness zone called Salpausselkä Sport Park, which offers recreational opportunities in almost a hundred different sports and a setting for international events.

Lahti sports center viewed from the air from the direction of the ski jumping tower. The center of Lahti can be seen in the background.

Lahti Sports Centre

The Lahti Sports Centre is a winter sports centre well-known internationally for hosting the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, among other things. It is also an arena used for numerous sports and events throughout the year.

In addition to a sports stadium and ski jump towers, the area houses a combat arena, the Ski Museum, an ice rink, several restaurants, a conference centre, and an outdoor swimming pool that is open in the summer. From the sports centre there is an extensive cross-country skiing and sports trail to the ridges of the Salpausselkä.

Find more information on the VisitLahti website (in Finnish).

Lahti Sports Centre (in Finnish)

The soccer field at the Lahti race park. The Lahti Historical Museum and downtown buildings can be seen in the background.

Kisapuisto Sports Park

Located between Lake Vesijärvi and Lahti city centre, Kisapuisto is a traditional sports park with artificial turf fields for football, an ice rink and ice hockey rink, a full-size baseball field ( Finnish baseball) and a tennis and squash centre.

The objective of the area’s development is to ensure better conditions for competitive and recreational sports. In addition to the current sports and facilities offered by Kisapuisto, there are plans to build a new football stadium and event arena.

Lahti Kisapuisto Sports Park (in Finnish)

Ranta-Kartano

The new Ranta-Kartano area located next to Kisapuisto, in the western part of the Lahti city centre, is bounded by Fellman Park and Pikku-Vesijärvi Park, which ends at the shore of Lake Vesijärvi.

In addition to housing and business premises, the plans for the area include a hotel, spa and entertainment and water sports centre.

Multi-storey car park built in the Ranta-Kartano area, serving the residents of the area and visitors to Kisapuisto.

Ranta-Kartano area (in Finnish)

Lahti region development projects

In the surrounding municipalities of Lahti, such as Hollola, Iitti and Asikkala, there are interesting areas for development and future projects - from aviation and motor racing track to event arena and green logistics hub.

NOSTAVA – opportunities for green logistics and industry investments

The future industrial area of Nostava offers excellent opportunities to develop a functional and attractive Green Logistics & Technology Park concept and service package for a business cluster focused on green logistics, technology and industry.

Nostava is located along convenient transport connections in Hollola:

approximately 10 km southwest of Lahti and 5 km from the municipal centre of Hollola
next to an international road and rail network, which meets the multimodal terminal objectives according to the TEN-T regulation
in the immediate vicinity of the direct railway line from Lahti to Helsinki and Lahti's southern ring road, main road 12
connected logistically to the ports of Helsinki, Kotka, Hamina, Loviisa and Hanko

Nostava is approximately 70 hectares in size, and it's component master plan is currently being drawn up.

KymiRing - a versatile event arena

Kymiring is the newest motor racing track and event arena in the Nordic countries, which willl meet international standards in the future. The 4.5 kilometre-long track and 180-hectare motor racing centre offer top conditions for motor sports and public events of up to 100,000 people.

KymiRing already offers many opportunities for businesses, such as a vehicle testing and product development environment. It will also offer new business opportunities later on as the area expands.

The new owner has a long-term vision for the future. The future development plans for the area include a separate driver training and vehicle testing environment is also being developed in the area.

Lahti-Vesivehmaa Airport - opportunities for businesses and enthusiasts

Lahti-Vesivehmaa airport is a local aviation centre located in Asikkala, roughly 20 minutes north of Lahti. Practically every form of aviation sport is represented at the airport. The airport also serves as a base for extensive education in aviation: pilot licences for gliding, powered flight and ultralight aviattion, as well as flight instructor training for powered aircraft and ultralight pilots.

Lahti GEM, the Lahti Region Electric Transport Cluster, is also looking for opportunities to develop future electric flight instructor operations in the Vesivehmaa area.

Lahti-Vesivehmaa airport is a little over 10 minutes away from the junction of the Lahti-Helsinki highway.

Lahti-Vesivehmaa airport (FIN)

Niemi – from an industrial and harbour area into a campus area

Located on the shores of Lake Vesijärvi, the transformation of Niemi from an industrial and harbour area continues actively. The area has become an international-level hub of higher education and research. Among others, it is home to the Lahti University Campus and LAB University of Applied Sciences. Kempower and the Electric Mobility Research Center (EMRC), as well as the Food Pilot Plant product development environment, are also located in the area. Both campuses in Niemi host educational and business activities.

The Niemi shoreline is undergoing radical transformation: The old silos of Polttimo will be demolished, and the area's planning will continue based on an architectural competition. The future vision is for Niemi to be one of Southern Finland's most important research and higher education hubs with a functional combination of workplaces, education, research and homes - as well as recreational functions, boating, a waterfront and green areas.