As part of the expansion of the Origo shopping centre and the construction of the Origo One business centre, Linstow Centre Management (LCM) will begin reconstruction of the Elizabetes and Satekles street crossing in December to improve the comfort of people who are part of the traffic in the centre of the capital city.

“Of increasing popularity in real state projects is the merger of various functions in a single building,” says LCM project director Andris Kublačovs.  “LCM is implementing this multifunctional concept as it expands the Origo shopping centre, with plans to add 11,500 m2 in office space in a new A-grade business centre, Origo One.  After evaluating the environmental impact of the project and making use of the existing situation, we found that one of the most active crossing points in Rīga — the one involving Elizabetes and Satekles streets — has not been convenient and is even dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists.  It is an unregulated crossing point which cannot be used by pedestrians and is also dangerous for drivers of cars.  We care about the public interest, safety and the development of a business block, and so LCM decided to spend its own money to rebuild the crossing point at Elizabetes and Satekles streets so that we can present it to the city of Rīga as a gift.  It is also worth mentioning that this work will be recommended as a necessary part of the major Rail Baltica project, thus installing a multimodal public transport hub in Rīga.”

The reconstruction of the crossing point will involve several improvements, including traffic lights, pedestrian crossing points, and the bicycle path on Elizabetes Street being extended over Satekles Street, thus making it possible to cross the street safely and access the train station square and the Origo One business centre.  One part of the centre will be a large area in which bicycles can be locked up.  Underground engineering elements and the electricity lines that are used by trolleybuses will also be replaced.

The aim of LCM is to improve traffic flow and to improve the level of comfort for all participants in traffic, particularly pedestrians and bicyclists on one of the most congested crossing points in Rīga.  This will encourage pedestrians to use Elizabetes Street, thus reducing the burden on existing pedestrian crossing points between Merķeļa Street and the train station square.  Drivers, in turn, will have a far more comprehensible and safe crossing point, particularly when crossing Satekles Street from the side of Elizabetes Street or turning left from Dzirnavu Street to Elizabetes Street.  Reconstruction will begin in December 2019, and LCM will pay the entire cost of the process.

As has been reported in the past, Linstow Centre Management is building a new building along with the expansion of the Origo Shopping Centre.   The new building will be erected at Satekles Street 2B, which is alongside the centre.  LCM is observing BREEAM standards to make sure that the building is sustainable, energy efficient and friendly both to the environment and to employees.  The shopping centre will be on the first three floors of the building, while the upper three floors will offer modern business areas with 11,500 m2 of floorspace.  A-class offices will be both functional and enabling transformation.