Intea and the Swedish Prison and Probation Service have reached an agreement on a 20-year lease agreement regarding the Viskan prison in Ånge municipality. The prison will undergo a major renovation and is expected to be ready for occupancy by the end of 2023.
Intea acquired the property Ånge Hjältan 4:11 earlier in the year. The Swedish Prison and Probation Service will dispose of the entire property, with approximately 14,300 m2 lettable area. The annual rental value amount to approximately SEK 27.8 million as a preliminary estimate. The lease agreement runs until 2043 and is conditional upon the approval of the Swedish government.
”Viskan is the second prison that Intea and the Swedish Prison and Probation Service will reopen together in short time. We will now take the next step where the property will be renovated and adapted”, says Charlotta Wallman Hörlin, COO of Intea.
“It is gratifying that we can open Viskan again. It is positive both for the Prison and Probation Service and for the region. This will lead to several employment opportunities in an area that has lost many jobs ”, says Johan Modin, regional manager in the Swedish Prison and Probation Service’s Region North.
The prison was originally opened in 1974 and was used by the Swedish Prison and Probation Service until 2009. A reopening is estimated to create 120 new prison cells and about 100 new jobs in Ånge municipality. The property comprises 10 buildings with, among other things, living space, cooking kitchen, sports facility and premises for employment.
“It is a big success for our collaboration in the region, that a re-establishment is now in place. Thanks to everyone who contributed positively to this. Approximately 100 new job openings is a great result of our efforts to create employment opportunities ”, says Erik Lövgren, chairman of the municipal board in Ånge.
Whilst the work on Viskan begins, construction of the Härnösand prison is in its final stages. In total, Intea has seven ongoing projects of approximately 82,000 m2 of lettable area within the Swedish legal system, which will be completed within three years.