Sweden: Construction of Plantagon vertical greenhouse planned for 2017
Property formation was completed recently and the property's name was established. This process has taken longer than expected as there are two properties in one – a new type of combined industrial and office real estate property.
“This type of combined building is unique, and this is one of the many challenges that urban agriculture is facing, as we are creating new rules and breaking new ground. We have also had some other challenges to solve along the way, for example regarding the protection of birds, but also how pedestrians in Linköping would experience a hi-rise building like this,” says Owe Pettersson, Plantagon CEO.
Owe Pettersson says that there is great interest in the project and that Plantagon today has far-reaching discussions with several interested companies and organizations.
“Currently we have one third of the office space preliminary contracted, which is really great. Interested parties consist of an exciting mix of large and small companies and organizations. We believe the building has the potential to become a hub for innovation and sustainable urban development, which we believe will make a positive contribution not only to the City of Linköping but to the development of the entire region,” says Owe Pettersson.
Knowledge center
The greenhouse will be a unique demonstration plant, and a knowledge center for sustainable urban farming on a large scale. The long-term goal is to create a Swedish center for research and development of urban agriculture, for global food security.
“The most important reason to why we placed the project in Linköping in the first place is the closeness to Tekniska Verken that are far ahead in terms of symbiotic and circular solutions. The close cooperation with our other partners, as well as with Linköping University, has of course also played a major role, as well as political support from Linköping City,” says Owe Pettersson.
“Tekniska Verken’s vision is to create the most resource-efficient region in the world. I'm really looking forward to seeing Plantagon first building realized in Linköping as it further demonstrates the potential of the ideas that have driven the region for a long time”, says Klas Gustafsson, Vice President of Tekniska Verken.
Timetable
The new timetable for the project is now set and contract negotiations are expected to last over 2016 and well into 2017. Construction is expected to commence the second half of 2017, provided that the contract negotiations work out as planned. The construction period is estimated at around 16 months and the whole building is expected to be completed at the earliest in autumn 2018.
A number of local and national partners have been working for and promoting the project as a Tekniska Verken, Sweco, Saab, SSAB, and others. An agreement regarding property management has been signed with Samhall.
Online exhibition
For interested people in Linköping, and others who follow the project, there is now also a web-based exhibition that can be experienced via the Plantagon website.
“We have created the exhibition to showcase the project in a clear-cut way, which is both explanatory, fact-based and educational. In addition to the web-based exhibition, there is a physical exhibition at our Stockholm office, which everyone is welcome to visit. We already receive groups and delegations from all over the world, and we hope to see more local visitors”, says Owe Pettersson.
For more information:
www.plantagon.com