Friday, February 10, 2023

Helsinki organizes a competition for the sale and redevelopment of the Old Customs House

 

 The Old Customs House in Katajanokka. Photo by Antti Pulkkinen


HELSINKI, FINLAND -- The City of Helsinki, Finland, has launched a tender competition to sell the Old Customs House in Katajanokka for redevelopment.

 

The goal of the competition is to find a technically and economically feasible and architecturally outstanding overall solution for redeveloping the building.

 


 With this competition, the City of Helsinki is hoping to find a suitable new owner with the resources required to renovate and redevelop the building. The final outcome will be determined by price.

Architectural and historic values a key consideration



Dating from 1901, the Old Customs House designed by Gustaf Nyström was considered architecturally meritorious when completed, and it plays an important role in Finland’s architectural history as a hallmark of late 19th century architecture.  




The two-storey building originally housed both cold and warm storage for customs warehousing, a customs chamber, and the transport office’s work and customer facilities.




Katajanokka is the unique east-facing side of Helsinki’s iconic South Harbour. The wharf structures and buildings in the harbour area, as well as the changes in their use, reflect the history of port operations over a period of more than a hundred years. The Old Customs House is a notable building in this setting.




A future plan for land use in Helsinki city centre envisages a thriving and engaging city centre in which Katajanokka is more closely connected to the Market Square. More attention will be paid to creating a pleasant pedestrian environment and a more functional street level.


Due to its significant value in terms of cultural history, cityscape and architecture, the Old Customs House will be protected in the new city plan. Preservation values provide the foundation for any redevelopment and future use.

Bidders are expected to propose a versatile concept with functions suitable for the building, such as business premises, offices, workspaces, restaurants, meeting spaces, or art and cultural facilities. 




And, at least the first floor should house services available to the public. Proposals featuring conceptual plans that meet the selection criteria specified in the competition programme and the minimum requirements specified for the concept will be selected for further consideration and a price bid. 

For proposals that meet the criteria, bid forms will be opened for submitting an indicative bid for the plot and the building.

Competition schedule

The competition was launched after the Urban Environment Committee approved the instructions for bidders and the competition itself. The deadline for tender submissions is 28 April 2023.

Gustaf Nyström

The objective is to propose a decision on the winner and on the principles regarding the transfer of the competition area to the Urban Environment Committee during 2024. After a decision has been made, a preliminary agreement on the transfer of the plot and the sale of the building will be signed with the winner of the competition. 

The project will require changes to the existing city plan. This process begins with a participation and assessment plan (“OAS” in Finnish, available publicly from 27 February to 17 March 2023) and continues in collaboration with the winner once the preliminary agreement comes into force. 

The winning proposal will serve as a basis for the new city plan. The aim is to bring a proposal for a new city plan to the Urban Environment Committee for consideration during 2025. 

Link to the competition programme (pdf): Tender competition for the Old Customs House

CONTACTS:

Katharina Mead
Senior Specialist
The City of Helsinki
Urban Environment Division
Land Property Development and Plots Service
Tel. +358 9 310 25452
katharina.mead@hel.fi

City of Helsinki, Urban planning and construction

 (Photographer Antti Pulkkinen)


David Ebeling

Ebeling Communications

949.861.8351

949.278.7851 (Cell)

david@ebelingcomm.com

Member of the National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE)

“PR Strategist for the Commercial Real Estate Industry:  I do what I love and love what I do.”

SomerCor Names Margy Sweeney Board Chairman

 

 Margy Sweeney

 CHICAGO, IL - SomerCor, a non-profit, Certified Development Company (CDC) licensed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the SBA 504 loan program, is proud to announce the appointment of, Margy Sweeney Founder & CEO of Akrete, as the new Chairman of its Board of Directors.

 Thomas Huffman, Executive Vice President - Wintrust SBA Lending, will serve as Vice Chairman.

Thomas Huffman

“I look forward to working with Margy and Tom to build upon SomerCor’s growth and service to small businesses and lending partners through the SBA 504 program and our other economic development initiatives,” said Manuel Flores, President and CEO of SomerCor.

 Manuel (Manny) Flores

“We also thank our Chairman Emeritus, Jon Winick, for his many years of service as Chairman. Over the last few years, SomerCor has achieved significant milestones including receiving SBA Accredited Lender Program (ALP) designation and Local Economic Area (LEA) authority to lend in Kenosha and Rock counties in Wisconsin.”

Jon Winick

Sweeney is the Founder & CEO of Akrete, a WBE national public relations, content, and marketing agency with expertise in both real estate and financial services, including ranking as the nation’s #5 real estate public relations firm. Margy has served on the SomerCor board since 2016.

 

Huffman is the EVP of Wintrust SBA Lending and has over 35 years of experience in commercial and SBA lending and he has served on the SomerCor board since 2018. Wintrust Community Banks was named the number one SBA lender in Illinois in 2022.

 

Winick is the CEO of Clark Street Capital, a full-service bank advisory firm specializing in loan sales, loan due diligence and valuation, and specialty asset management. Jon has over 20 years of banking experience and has served on SomerCor’s Board for 15 years.

 

“I’m proud of the journey SomerCor is on to support an increasingly diverse set of small businesses. As a business founder and owner myself, I welcome the opportunity to lead this Board of Directors,” said Sweeney. 


“Access to capital can mean the difference between surviving and thriving for many entrepreneurs—particularly for woman, minority, and veteran-owned businesses. 


"I’m pleased to play this leadership role in 2023 as the SomerCor team continues their great work expanding economic opportunities and helping small business owners make their dreams a reality.”



Other Board Members include Dean Avdalas (SVP, Commercial Lending - Byline Bank), Jeffrey Bronswick (CEO - Bronswick Benjamin P.C.), James Bruno (VP, Area Manager - JPMorgan Chase), Brian Burke (SVP, Commercial Banking – Old National Bank), Erica King (President - Greenwood Archer Capital), Santiago Martinez (Regional President - Belmont Bank & Trust).


Erica King

Also: Michael Martino (Head of Chicago Emerging Middle Market Banking - Fifth Third Bank), Michael Plumb (Principal - Lee & Associates of Illinois, LLC), William Towns (National Market President for Community Revitalization - Gorman & Company), Julie Winterbauer (SVP, Marketing and Member Relations - Illinois Bankers Association) and Simon Yohanan (SVP, Managing Director of Middle Market Banking - First Bank Chicago).

 

Julie Winterbauer 


About SomerCor

 

The SomerCor mission is to grow businesses, create jobs, and increase impactful investment in every community through the SBA 504 loan program and other financing and grant initiatives.

 

SomerCor serves the entire state of Illinois and Kenosha and Rock counties in Wisconsin. For more information visit www.somercor.com

 

CONTACT:


David Ebeling

Ebeling Communications

949.861.8351

949.278.7851 (Cell)

david@ebelingcomm.com

Member of the National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE)

“PR Strategist for the Commercial Real Estate Industry:  I do what I love and love what I do.”