Lauri Liukkonen and Liisa Leinonen
In early July, Kuopio’s Urban Structure Board approved a new partial master plan for Kelloniemi. The plan will guide development in the area over the coming decades.
The city wants to bring more residents and denser development to the neighbourhood, which lies only a few kilometres from the city centre. A new local centre would also be built around Kellolahdentie and Ankkuritie.
The plan must still be approved by the City Board and City Council.
Up to 2,000 new residents
The proposed development is expected to bring between 1,000 and 2,000 new residents to Kelloniemi. The eventual increase will depend on more detailed plans, as well as the scale and timetable of the construction projects. At most, the population could almost double: fewer than 2,000 people currently live in Kelloniemi.
The plan includes both houses and apartment buildings. Most of the apartment buildings would be built around Kellolahdentie and the new local centre, while houses would be concentrated in new residential areas.
Additional construction is planned for the site of the current Sale supermarket and at the end of Kellomäentie towards Talasniemi. The Sale site could be put to another use if the new S-market is built in the local centre.
Much of the redevelopment would take place in the former industrial area, which contains old buildings once used by Lihakunta and Atria. Some buildings of cultural and historical value have been protected. Others carry an SR-3 designation, meaning that the aim is to preserve them. The plan proposes a mix of housing, services and workplaces for the area.
Kelloniemi would change in stages
The partial master plan also covers waterfront areas, outdoor trails and routes for pedestrians and cyclists. Some of Kelloniemi’s shoreline is currently used by industry.
The plan identifies several important natural features, including six or seven flying squirrel habitats, wooded green corridors, a patch of ostrich ferns, a small stream and protective woodland.
Green corridors are connected green spaces that allow animals to move and species to spread from one area to another. These natural features must be considered when more detailed plans are drawn up.
Part of the proposed local centre would be built in an area identified as flying squirrel habitat. Decisions on matters such as which existing trees will be preserved and where the green corridors will run will be made at a later stage.
If approved, the partial master plan will guide Kelloniemi’s development over the long term, with changes taking place gradually over the coming years. One of the first projects will be the detailed plan for the new local centre, which has already prompted debate among residents. Alongside concerns about nature, residents have raised questions about traffic, the density of development and the possible location of a new daycare centre.
City to invest millions
Putting the plan into practice would require major investment from the city in infrastructure and land.
According to the planning report, the city’s infrastructure costs are estimated at around €15.9 million. This includes the construction and renovation of streets, pedestrian and cycling routes, parks and harbour areas, stormwater systems and noise barriers. The estimate is based on calculations from 2023 and has not been updated since the draft stage.
Building the water and sewer network is expected to cost a further €2.4 million. This is not included in the city’s infrastructure costs in the same way, as it will be partly funded through connection and usage fees.
The report also estimates that a new daycare centre would cost around €10 million at current prices. No decision has been made on whether to build one, as children living in the area could instead attend daycare centres nearby.
According to the report, Kelloniemi already has much of the necessary infrastructure in place. Developing the area would therefore cost the city less than building entirely new residential neighbourhoods.
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