Siltapuisto will be inspected, as the price tag for the new parking garage is high. The decision-makers should also decide how Radanvarsi is linked to the center.
Next year, a decision on the direction of Lahti’s city center will be on the table of Lahti’s decision-makers.
– Instead of talking about a single street, bridge or tunnel, we should know what is the center that we want? says Alho.
A year ago, the Lahti council decided to eliminate key parts of the downtown traffic plan. The street sections were part of the overall plan related to the development of Sairaalanmäki. Sairaalanmäki operates Harju’s health and safety center, and the parking garage replacing the Siltapuisto parking garage, the Harju-Lotila elementary school campus and new residential buildings are planned there.
Alho says that the price tag for the parking garage replacing Siltapuisto is getting big. Wild numbers have been obtained from the preliminary cost estimates. That’s why Siltapuisto will undergo a thorough health check.
– It is estimated that Siltapuisto would last 3–5 years. We are now finding out whether renovation could be an option.
A new development site from Radanvarre
The new development site is Radanvarsi next to the Travel Center, the value of which will increase if the runway becomes a reality. According to Alho, when talking with real estate investors, an alternative comes up.
– If ten years from now we have a 38-minute journey from Matkakeskus to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, then Radanvarsi will be a much more interesting area. We have to think about how the new area is linked to the old center.
The decision on the development of the center of Lahti will be made during the next year. Before that, the city involves decision-makers and residents in the discussion.