Helsinki will build an EUR 84.2 million health and welfare centre

Construction is expected to start in 2023 and end in 2027

On 16 June, the Helsinki City Council approved the project plan for a new Health and Welfare Centre which is to be built on the site of the western flag hall building of the Kamppi metro station. The plans for this centre come after projections revealed that the population in the region is rapidly growing. As such, health and social care services need to be expanded and diversified to accommodate all inhabitants.

In a press release, the municipality reported that the project plan for the Health and Welfare Centre is based on the Service Network Plan 2030 which seeks to guarantee diverse, efficient, competitive, and easily accessible public health and social care. What is more, it envisions that 6 of the city’s health and wellbeing centres will be built in the downtown area in order to be more accessible to Helsinki’s residents.

What will the new Health and Welfare Centre offer?

The new building will have a total of nine floors, eight of which will be aboveground. According to the City of Helsinki, the services provided by the centre will mainly be suited for the adult population, although there will also be a number of services for children and the elderly.

Expanding on this, the Health and Welfare Centre will house psychiatry offices, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, imaging services, a substance abuse reception, and a laboratory.

The project will cost a maximum of EUR 84.2 million

It is important to reiterate that the new centre will be built on the site of the western flag hall building of the Kammpi metro. It follows then, that this building must first be demolished. Following this, the City of Helsinki will complete the necessary work to ensure the renovation, alteration, and expansions of the metro.

Therefore, the project plan does not only include the centre but also the surrounding areas. Subsequently, the construction costs of this ambitious project are estimated at approximately EUR 82.4 million.

Construction is expected to take place in 2023 and it is hoped that the centre will begin operating in the summer of 2027.