Vice Mayor Ķirsis: Skanste has the potential to become a business hub
On October 6, 2021, Riga Vice Mayor Vilnis Ķirsis visited the Skanste neighborhood, including the VERDE construction site, to learn about the progress of development projects and plans, hear developers’ proposals for further cooperation with the city’s government, as well as to inspect in person several office buildings currently under construction. During the visit, representatives of the Skanste Development Agency informed about the neighborhood’s latest projects, assessed progress of the Skanste revitalization project implemented by Riga City Council, as well as informed about the investments that have been made or are being planned to develop Skanste as Riga’s modern center.
During the visit, representatives of the Skanste Development Agency told the vice mayor, Inese Andersone, chairperson of the Riga City Council’ City Development Committee, Olafs Pulks, chairperson of the Communications and Transport Committee, as well as other representatives of municipal authorities about the neighborhood’s key investment projects. Skanste is one of Riga’s fastest-growing neighborhoods, and this growth is ensured by investments made by Riga City Council and the European Union in the Skanste revitalization project, as well as private developers’ substantial investments in infrastructure and construction, which have already reached EUR 765 million and are still growing. Busy work is ongoing at Skanste, with several office building projects in the process of development. Among these projects, VERDE is set to become the first and only A-class office complex to open its doors to tenants already in the first half of 2022. Also, a number of significant infrastructure improvements have been made and are being planned in the Skanste neighborhood. For instance, six new streets have been constructed in the neighborhood and an extension of Sporta Street is being planned. There are also plans to improve and expand cycling and pedestrian lanes.
Riga Vice Mayor Vilnis Ķirsis indicates: “Skanste has all the potential to become Riga’s business hub. While inspecting the neighborhood and meeting with the investors, it became clear to me that the development of this territory is essential for Riga to catch up with Vilnius and Tallinn. Riga City Council will work with the developers to achieve this goal.”
Mārtiņš Vanags, chairperson of the Skanste Development Agency, noted: “There are currently three modern office building projects under construction at Skanste – “Pillar”, “VERDE” and “ELEMENAL”. Investments in these projects total EUR 151 million, and they will provide jobs to nearly 10,000 people, creating new infrastructure service for Riga’s economic development. Also in the process of development are several apartment houses, which will help attract residents to Riga who will be paying their personal income tax to the city’s government. In a constructive conversation we agreed with the representatives of Riga City Council to continue our cooperation in improving public infrastructure at Skanste.”
About the Skanste Development Agency:
The Skanste Development Agency is an association founded by the most important developers and property owners of the Skanste neighborhood. Our common goal is to turn Skanste into Riga's business card of the 21st century: a place that attracts investment; a location for European-scale events and, most importantly, a high-quality ecological environment for business and urban dwelling. VERDE is a member of the Skanste Development Agency.