Construction of the Hippos project in Jyväskylä to begin in December – investment of over €210 million to be implemented in stages

- This is a great day for Jyväskylä. Hippos will offer the residents of Jyväskylä and the entire Finnish sports community a unique opportunity to exercise, engage in sports, and participate in athletic activities. In addition, the area will further strengthen Jyväskylä's position as a leading city for research and education in physical activity and elite sports. Hippos' unique complex has already attracted interest both nationally and internationally, says Timo Koivisto, Mayor of Jyväskylä.

The scale of the project is exceptional even by international standards.  

- The Hippos complex will provide an excellent setting for more than 30 indoor, field, and ice sports. The scope and diversity of the sports and exercise facilities are exceptional in themselves. When you add to this the existing and future research, education, and RDI activities in the field of sports and exercise, the Hippos area will become a unique complex even on a European scale, says Kai Ruuhonen, Project Director at Jyväskylän Hippos Ky.  

The Hippos consists of four entities

The Hippos being built in Jyväskylä consists of four entities: a sports centre, a skills centre, an ice arena, and the Hippos-Parkki parking facility. Construction will be carried out in stages, and the entire project will be completed by the end of 2027.

The total investment in the project is over €210 million. The sports centre (€70 million) and ice arena (€87 million) will be built with external lease financing and a previously decided investment by the city (€23 million) and will be managed by the city. SEB Leasing Oy is responsible for the lease financing. The skills centre (€40 million) will be built with private funding for private ownership, and Hippos-Parkki (€17 million) will be built with mandatory parking fees and equity capital for management by a city-owned subsidiary.  

The project will have a significant impact on employment

The construction will be carried out using a project management service model, with Fimpec PMO Oy, a local company that has grown into an international player, as the service provider. This model enables effective tendering and the use of local labor.

- The total employment impact of the project during the construction phase is estimated at approximately 2,600 person-years, of which 1,500 person-years are direct. The launch of the project will have a positive impact on employment in the region. By dividing up the procurement and providing information about it in advance, we aim to ensure that as many local companies as possible can participate in the competitive tendering process, says Ville Niskakangas, Project Manager at the City of Jyväskylä.  

- From a builder's perspective, the project is a rewarding and diverse which offers a unique opportunity to be involved in the development of a complex that is significant for sports, education, and urban structure. A lot of effort has gone into the design, and now both the preparations for implementation and the actual construction are getting underway in a concrete and large-scale manner, says Mikko Turunen, CEO of Fimpec PMO Oy.

Two new private investors for the skills centre

Due to a series of appeals that delayed the start of the project, some of the agreements related to the project had to be renegotiated. The final stage of negotiations focused primarily on private funding, which has now been secured in full. The private investors include Sepos Oy, Pose Oy, Fratres Oy, and HV-Holding Oy, which have been involved in the project for a long time, as well as newcomers Central Finland Mobility Foundation (Cefmof) and Osuuskauppa Keskimaa.

- The Central Finland Mobility Foundation's participation in financing the Hippos skills centre reflects our commitment to supporting the well-being of the Central Finland region and its residents, as well as promoting innovations that have a real social impact. The project is important for the region, and we are proud to be able to support it. By participating in the development of the center of excellence, we want to strengthen cooperation between research, business, and local actors, as well as promote well-being and joint innovation opportunities, says Haruka Arai, Executive Director of the Central Finland Mobility Foundation.   

Keskimaa also sees the positive effects of Hippos' development extending across the entire province, and therefore has a clear interest in participating in the project.

- We consider the Hippos project to be extremely important for the vitality of Jyväskylä and, more broadly, the whole of Central Finland. That is why we decided to join the group of investors in the skills centre, comments Niko Toivanen, CFO of Osuuskauppa Keskimaa.

According to Jouni Alho of Jyväskylä Hippos Ky, the financing package reflects the importance of the project and the commitment to it at the local level.  

- We are very pleased with the interest shown in this sports and wellness project in Jyväskylä, and we are delighted to be working with the city and sports organizations as the long-awaited Hippos complex begins to take shape.  

The project will be completed in stages over a period of just over two years – users are eagerly awaiting

Construction will be carried out in phases, starting in December 2025 with the parking facilities. Construction of the sports and skills centre facilities will begin in January 2026. Construction of the ice arena facilities will begin immediately after the end of the ice sports season in spring 2026.

The stands of the new ice arena will seat more than 5,600 spectators for sporting events and approximately 6,850 spectators for concerts. Spectator stands will also be built in connection with the three training ice rinks. The ice arena will be implemented in stages, with training ice rinks 2 and 3 being the first to be completed. The entire ice arena will be completed by the end of 2027, when the competition ice rink and training ice rink 1 will also be completed.  

The new 33,400-square-meter sports centre will provide training facilities for more than 20 different sports and sports, as well as an indoor arena with a capacity of approximately 2,000 spectators, multi-purpose sports fields, facilities for athletics, and facilities for gymnastics, martial arts, and group exercise. Construction will be completed by the end of 2027.    

The skills centre will house the main entrance to the new building complex as well as research, teaching, office, business, restaurant, café, and meeting facilities. The skills centre will cover an area of approximately 18,050 square meters. Parking for the area will be provided in a parking facilities to be built in connection with the premises. Hippos-Parkki will have over 700 parking spaces and the courtyard areas will have approximately 250 parking spaces. The skills centre and parking facilities will be the first to be completed in the area under the new schedule in the summer of 2027.

Users are excited about the whole project.

- I am extremely happy that Hippos' new gymnastics facilities are being completed. The new facilities offer a top-class environment for gymnasts of all ages and levels, from amateurs to athletes aiming for the international level. It's great that the needs of the different disciplines have been taken into account in the design of the facilities. This means that the end result supports versatile, safe, and goal-oriented training. I believe that the new environment will inspire more and more children, young people, and adults to take up gymnastics, says Kari Kasurinen, Executive Director of Jyväskylän Voimistelijat.  

Anssi Rantanen, Executive Director of JYP Juniors, agrees.

– From the user's point of view, the new facilities offer a tremendous improvement in basic conditions. Children and young people will have access to appropriate, modern facilities where they can pursue both competitive sports and low-threshold activities.

According to Laura Rajala, Executive Director of the Jyväskylä Figure Skating Club, the new facilities will significantly improve training conditions for all ice sports in the Jyväskylä region.

- We will finally have healthy facilities that take into account the special characteristics of our sport. In addition, there will be more ice time available at a reasonable price. The new hall will also provide a representative setting for organizing larger competitions, shows, and training camps in our region, Rajala envisions.

Laura Rajala sees opportunities, especially in the development of the sport based on research. The expertise of the center of excellence offers unique conditions for this in Finland.

- I believe that we will be able to develop our training methods and support our young athletes more comprehensively on their paths. 

Project's progress can be followed on the city's website

The progress of the project can be followed on the city's website. 

The website will be updated with current information about the construction project, including traffic arrangements, parking spaces, and public transportation in the area. Once construction begins, visitors to the website will also be able to view live video footage of the construction progress. The website also provides illustrative images of the project for free use by the media. Link to media bank.

Information sessions on the impact of the construction work will be held for residents, local businesses, and sports clubs in the coming weeks. The dates of these sessions will be announced later and communicated separately. The dates will also be updated on the Hippos website.