Hämeenlinna city council to vote on moving university campus to city centre

Hämeenlinna’s city council will decide Monday whether to relocate Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK) from its current Visamäki site to the Hämeensaari area in the city centre, public broadcaster Yle reports.

The council is set to vote on a funding agreement that would commit the city to covering roughly half of the €60 million project. A live stream of the session, beginning at 19:30 local time, is available via Yle’s coverage.

City manager Olli-Poika Parvinen noted that two years of site evaluations had narrowed the options to Hämeensaari and the central bus station area, with Hämeensaari ultimately selected. Other considered locations included the former provincial hospital grounds, Ykköskortteli, Keinusaari, and the Harvialantie vicinity.

The proposal has divided local opinion. Opponents question the use of municipal funds when the Visamäki facilities are deemed adequate, while supporters argue a central campus would revitalise both the city and the university.

Tiina Uschanov, a resident, opposes the Hämeensaari location due to its natural setting but suggested the former Linna shopping centre in Ykköskortteli as a preferable alternative. Pirkko Tuominen saw little need for relocation, noting Visamäki’s proximity to the centre, while Juhana Ritola and Petri Junnikkala backed the move, citing its potential to bring youth and activity to the city’s core.