Hemsö acquires school and signs lease agreement with the City of Lahti
Hemsö is strengthening its collaboration with the City of Lahti through the acquisition of the Salpausselkä secondary school, which accommodates 650 students. In connection with the acquisition, a new 20-year lease agreement has been signed with the City of Lahti. The lettable area is 8,700 square meters. The investment amounts to EUR 17.6 million.
Hemsö has acquired Salpausselkä school from a privately owned local company. The building was originally constructed in 1958 and underwent extensive renovation and expansion between 2014 and 2017. The school has a sports focus and, in addition to educational facilities, includes two sports halls. The school buildings are located on a 15,500 square meter freehold plot, of which 2,600 square meters comprise unused building rights.
The City of Lahti is already one of Hemsö’s largest tenants in Finland, with close cooperation involving four existing properties, including the Paavola Campus, which serves nearly 3,000 students.
‒ We look forward to expanding our strong collaboration with the City of Lahti and continuing to provide facilities that foster innovation and development. Long-term lease agreements and active dialogue with our tenants are cornerstones of our business. This partnership ensures that students and staff can focus on learning and development, says Jarkko Leinonen, Head of Region Finland at Hemsö.
‒ Everyday life at the school will continue as normal despite the change of ownership. We are well acquainted with Hemsö as the landlord through the Paavola campus. Our cooperation has worked smoothly, and we view its expansion positively, says Jouni Arola, Director of Facilities at the City of Lahti.
Hemsö took possession of the property on July 1, 2025. Hemsö already owns 160,000 square meters of educational properties in Finland.
For more information, please contact:
Jarkko Leinonen, Head of Region Finland +358-400 150 841
Åsa Thoft, Head of Communications +46 8-501 170 57
Hemsö is Sweden’s leading owner of properties for public use. The business is based on sustainably owning, managing and developing properties for nursing home, education, health care and the judicial system. Hemsö has properties in Sweden, Germany and Finland. The hallmarks of Hemsö’s business are long-term leases and stable tenants. The Third Swedish National Pension Fund (AP3) is the majority owner. The total value of Hemsö’s property portfolio is SEK 84.7 billion. Hemsö has had a credit rating of A- from Standard & Poor’s since March 2015, AA- from Fitch Ratings since March 2024 and A3 from Moody's since February 2025. More information can be found at: www.hemso.se.
