The City of Oulu has negotiated with three groups of companies on the implementation of the Experience Arena project. A final call for tenders has now been sent, and the contractor for the project will be selected next autumn.
Since the summer of 2024, the City of Oulu has been negotiating the details of the project with three groups of companies interested in implementing the arena project. A final invitation to tender has now been sent to the groups, and the deadline for submitting bids is mid-August.
The groups involved in the negotiation phase are YIT, Skanska and the Raksila 2.0 group formed by SRV and Trevian. All have experience and expertise in demanding construction and urban development projects and bring with them partners such as architectural, design and consultancy firms.
– The negotiations took longer than we originally thought, but we wanted to find out all the issues that the bidders were concerned about. On the other hand, no one has been in a hurry, as the market situation is still quite challenging, says Karri Oikarinen, Project Director in charge for the arena project for the City of Oulu.
– The companies have been active in the negotiations, willing to find solutions and cooperative. The city and the companies have really challenged each other to think about the future solutions for the arena and the whole area, as well as the framework for competition, Mr Oikarinen says.
The arena, which will host concerts, conferences, sports and other events, will be built in the station area, extending from the north of the existing bus station building to the market district. The arena will have a capacity of around 8,000 spectators for sports events and around 10,000 for concerts.
In June 2023, the Oulu City Council decided that the City of Oulu would commit to owning the future arena for a maximum amount of €50 million and a maximum 49.9% stake. The city is looking for a partner in the arena project to carry out the design and construction of the arena and to commit to owning and managing at least 50.1% of the arena.
In return for the arena commitment, the winning consortium will have access to land around the arena for other development and construction. For example, a hotel, office space and other commercial facilities could be built around the arena, creating services and jobs in the area. In addition to the arena, the city wants the project to create a station centre along the railway line, north of the existing bus station.
Plans will be specified further in the autumn
One of the topics of discussion during the consultation phase has been the new bus terminal planned for the central part of the station centre, where the city also plans to build a parking facility to serve the future station centre, along with an office building. Their implementation and coordination with the arena project is important.
– The city has made and is making substantial investments in the area. Our aim is that after the investments in the new yard, other basic infrastructure, the bus terminal and parking, and the city’s €50 million commitment to the arena, the rest of the trackside will be created on market terms, says Oikarinen.
The city will select the winner of the tender for the arena project in autumn 2025, when the exact location, size and layout of the arena, as well as the functions and buildings around it, will be determined. The planning and further development of the project will take about two years, and construction will take another two years. The arena is due to be completed in the winter of 2030.
