Underground construction of the first houses in the Hipodroomi Quarter starts
The foundation works for the first houses in the Hipodroomi Quarter are underway, the excavation of the underground car park will be completed by the beginning of November and the installation of the crushed stone base is underway.
Passers-by will be able to see the houses in February-March, and future residents will be able to move into their new apartments in Merimetsa Road in spring 2026. The main contractor is Mapri Ehitus, the developer is Reterra. The architectural design is by PIN Architects. The financial volume of the construction is over EUR 20 million.
Five apartment buildings will be completed on Merimetsa Road, with a total of 107 apartments and six commercial units.
Silver Sein, Project Manager of Mapri Ehitus Hipodroomi, gives an overview of the work in progress. He says that during the excavation of the underground car park, the builders are currently dealing with the forces of nature by pumping groundwater into a pool created for this purpose. “Once the zero cycle work is done, the concreters will come in and start installing the pile caps, the upper part of the foundation. The retaining walls will then also be installed on the Paldiski road side.”
Underground construction of the first houses started in the Hipodroomi Quarter. Photo by Erik Riikoja
Reigo Randmets, the head of Reterra, believes that the Hipodroomi project is one of the largest in Tallinn in recent years. “Construction, which started this autumn, is the very first step in the redevelopment of the area. In total, nearly 1,000 apartments will be built here – that’s a whole small town’s worth of residents. The builder is our long-standing partner Mapri Ehitus, so the project teams have developed a very good synergy.”
Tarmo Roos, Managing Director of Mapri Ehitus, says that starting the first buildings is a milestone for them. “We are bringing all our experience from previous housing projects together here to keep the level up. It’s going to be a big and cool quarter – you could say a district. The developer’s plans are big and the work will go on for years. Location is the most important thing in real estate, with the Hipodroomi Quarter close to the sea and sports facilities, a short walk from the city centre. You’re not locked in a peninsula behind the city, you’re like in the TV series Home in the middle of the city,” Roos notes.
The new development will include 350 000 m2 of commercial and residential space, new infrastructure, roads and communications. Nearly 1,000 new apartments and commercial buildings totalling up to 130,000 square metres will be built on the Hipodrome site.
Hipodroomi promenade. The picture is illustrative.
Next to the Hipodroomi development is a park with sports facilities and less than a kilometre away is Stroomi Beach. The promenade from Paldiski Road to Merimetsa Tee will include parks, natural recreation areas and a pond.
The article was published on 7 November 2024 in the publication Postimees.