The approved plan covers the detailed development of the Karlastaden district, including the 240m-high, 72-floor Karlatornet skyscraper.
“Certainly, everyone can understand what a relief and pleasure it is for us to have the detailed development plan approved,” said Ola Serneke, CEO of Serneke Group and initiator of the Karlastaden project. “There are many of us who have worked long and hard to take the project this far. We will continue to work equally hard and remain committed for many years to come to ensure that Karlastaden becomes something that all residents of Gothenburg will be proud of.”
Serneke initially presented his vision for the development in 2007. The city’s go-ahead follows a process involving various agencies in the city of Gothenburg, completion of an architectural competition, a number of land acquisitions and a wide range of assessments ranging from geotechnical to social impact analyses.
Karlastaden will be developed in a former industrial area adjacent to Lindholmen Science Park, overlooking the entrance to Gothenburg harbour. The district consists of eight blocks covering 32,000m2. Together, they will form a dense, mixed area with apartments, totalling approximately 200,000m2, as well as approximately 70,000m2 of commercial space in the form of hotels, restaurants, offices and shops. The district will also accommodate schools, pre-schools and health centres.
The aspiration is for Karlastaden to become a sustainable neighborhood accessible to all. The Robert Dickson Foundation owns development rights in Karlastaden and will build about 300 rental apartments.
The first construction project in the district will be Karlatornet, which will comprise 590 apartments of various sizes. Interest in the apartments has been enormous, and over 14,000 people have signed up for the opportunity to buy a home. Karlatornet will also house a hotel of about 20,000m2, as well as a sky bar and an outlook spot open to the public.
The Karlastaden project is expected to generate approximately SEK 10 billion in revenues, and development will occur over the span of six to seven years. The project company that will develop the new district of residential and commercial properties is owned by Serneke together with the venture capital company NREP in a joint venture.
The detailed development plan is set to gain legal force after a three-week period of appeal. A building permit process for Karlatornet will take place during the third quarter, with the aim of construction starting this autumn.
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