Retail giant Kesko has partnered with construction firm SRV to transform Tikkurila's city center. The companies plan to replace the aging Tikkuri shopping center with a modern Citymarket complex.
Tikkuri shopping center opened in 1991 and has faced demolition rumors for years. The 1980s-era office spaces in the block have proven difficult to maintain and modify.
Kesko purchased majority ownership of Tikkuri shopping center and will build Vantaa's sixth Citymarket in its place. Across the street, SRV plans offices, a conference hotel, and commercial spaces in the Asematie 1-3 block.
The two companies will collaborate on an underground parking solution. Parking in Tikkurila has been quite fragmented until now, according to officials.
Mika Sivula, Kesko's Southern Finland regional director, said the partnership with SRV enables a shared underground parking solution. This addresses Tikkurila's longstanding parking challenges.
SRV's strategic project development director Hannu Lokka outlined plans for a pedestrian bridge from Tikkurila train station through the Dixi area to the new conference hotel. The underground parking would connect to existing parking facilities.
Detailed planning and new zoning will begin early next year. Construction could start in the Tikkuri block by the late 2020s at the earliest.
When completed, this will become Vantaa's sixth Citymarket location, following another new store opening in Kivistö early next year.
Kesko now controls the entire Tikkuri block, allowing planning for offices and residential units alongside the retail space. The complete solution will take shape during the zoning process.
Sivula noted that unlike 1970s hypermarkets built in remote fields, modern large retail units now come to urban centers along rail connections. The decision was influenced by both the main railway line and Vantaa's new tram system.
This redevelopment represents a practical response to changing retail patterns rather than visionary urban planning. The project acknowledges that suburban shopping centers from the 1990s no longer meet contemporary needs for integrated urban development.