Oulu Experience Arena’s partner has been selected

The city of Oulu has selected a consortium formed by SRV and Trevian, known as Raksila 2.0, to implement the Oulu Experience Arena and its environment. 

"We received two great offers and both had their advances. The Arena’s total cost, the presented business plan, and the team’s capability played a significant role in the decision", explains the Mayor of Oulu Ari Alatossava.  

The selected partner consortium has participated in both arena projects implemented in the last years. SRV built the Nokia Arena opened in 2021 and, last year, Trevian purchased the Helsinki Hall, now known as Veikkaus Areana. 

Raksila 2.0’s offer for the Arena’s capacity for sport use is 8 740 and for concert use is 11 650. The Arena will be located on the western end of the current market block. According to the plan, an underground parking area will be built in connection to the arena, as well as a practice ice hall, a separate event facility, a hotel, and two grocery stores.

A Station Centre will be built along the railway tracks which will serve travelers and citizens. The old courthouse and police station block will include a reservation for about 30 000 floor square meters for education and business facilities. The offer also included housing on the market block. 

The city invests 50 million € into the arena and will own about 43% of it. Additionally, the city commits to renting facilities from the practice ice hall with 396 000 € annually for 25 years. 

The city’s 50 million € investment targets only the arena, practice ice hall and their parking. All other constructions are implemented as determined by the markets. 

"The Station Centre area extending from the railway to the market block now has a finished plan. Zoning and development will continue based on the plan. Oulu’s most historically significant urban development project is well on its way in Raksila", Alatossava states. 

The city will finalize the plan with the consortium during the fall, after which the 2-year development phase begins. During the development phase, the arena’s business operations and other project implementation will be prepared. According to the agreement, the arena construction must begin first. 

"The Arena’s implementation will not begin from scratch as Raksila 2.0’s offer includes a significant investor that has signed a letter of intent. Raksila 2.0 is responsible for advancing the arena’s development plan, and according to the agreement, we will have made a final decision on building the Arena by the end of 2027", Oulu’s Project Director Karri Oikarinen states. 

According to the plan, the Arena’s construction will begin in 2028 and will be finished in early 2030.