City council ratified Vantaa's 2023 budget: Growth investments to continue, further investments into children and the young, personnel, and school meals

Vantaa's economy is healthy – strong growth investments will continue 

The city’s fiscal consolidation has generated good results, and Vantaa’s economy now rests on solid ground. Vantaa has reduced its debt by €250 million and is currently one of the least indebted cities among Finland’s large cities. The wellbeing services county reform will change the city’s operations and economy, and the city's operating environment has already drastically changed after Russia attacked Ukraine. Vantaa will continue to balance its economy and, at the same time, make major investments in the city's growth. 

Five new daycare centers will be completed in 2023, and planning of Vantaa light rail and Elmo swimming hall will continue. Vantaa Vocational College Varia’s investment project in Vehkala will progress, and a learning campus is being planned for Tikkurila, in addition to the big Jokiniemi project. Developing Kuusijärvi Recreation Center Vantaa into a major nature site will also continue. After a lengthy wait, Kivistö shopping and service center will be completed, and the city will transfer some of its services to the center. In addition, the city is opening more than 220 vacancies to improve its services. 

The most important appropriation changes consist of €1 million for the city employees’ well-being at work, as well as addressing the problem of acquiring employees and maintaining them, and allocating an additional €1 million for schools’ and pre-primary education support measures. Furthermore, Vantaa will spend €400,000 on developing school meals. A sum of €100,000 will be spent on bolstering outreach youth work, whereas €90,000 is allocated for developing services for the long-term unemployed youth. 

The city's real-estate taxes will remain unchanged in 2023. 

New homes in Kivistö and Tikkurila, jobs in Koivuhaka, a fire station in Myyrmäki, and space for the light rail in Hakunila 

In addition, the meeting approved the alterations to local detailed plans concerning Hakunila, Tikkurila, Koivuhaka, Myyrmäki, and Kivistö: 

The alteration to local detailed plan for downtown Hakunila prepares for Vantaa light rail by designating sufficient street space for the infrastructure and street environment that the light rail requires. The alteration to local detailed plan broadens the street area on Kyytitie and Hakunilantie by turning parts of the block and park areas into street areas. The street area will be broadened to accommodate for the light rail, the street environment related to it, and improved connections reserved for pedestrians and cyclists. 

The present parking lot along Neilikkatie, in downtown Tikkurila, will be replaced with high-rise residential buildings. The plan alteration constitutes part of Tikkurila’s urban renovation, which aims to increase housing construction in downtown Tikkurila and along good rail connections. The project will enhance the area’s cityscape, as the big asphalt field is replaced with residential buildings and a block yard. The office building currently on the site will be protected. The plan accounts for 194 housing units and 188 parking spaces. 

Koivuhaka's Piitie 2 block of industrial buildings will be turned into a block of industrial, storage, and office buildings. Okmetic Oy has applied for an alteration to local detailed plan to more than double the building right of the Piitie 2 real property. The increased permitted building volume would allow locating of around 700 jobs on the Piitie lot. The new conglomerate of buildings would be situated to the west of the present production facility. The aim of the plan alteration is to secure Okmetic’s operating conditions and future needs to expand production. 

A new fire station is planned to be built in Kivikaudenpuisto, along Myyrmäki’s Raappavuorentie. The fire station will house a top unit, an ambulance, and two volunteer fire department units. The proposed site is optimal as regards fast access to sites and rescuing people. The project will greatly enhance the safety of the region. 

Kivistö center’s Lumikvartsi local detailed plan and the alteration to it will expand downtown Kivistö toward the yet-unbuilt area to the south of the Ring Rail Line. It will also make it possible to build homes for around 1,300 residents, two daycare centers, a dog park, as well as other central services.