Vilnius City Municipality and LTG Group have renewed their agreement on the development of the Connect II (Grįžratis) area. The memorandum of intent stipulates that the municipality will organize an international competition to create an urban vision for this railway station area. It will form the basis for the conversion of the area.

"The areas in the city center that used to serve industry must be returned to the people and transformed into vibrant, functioning parts of the city. Everyone is looking forward to this transformation, so we are taking the initiative together with the LTG Group to bring about change in this area as quickly as possible. We are also planning a place for a school and greenery in this part of the city, which is sorely lacking," says Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas.

The former freight station area, covering about 42 hectares, is located at the junction of Naujininkai and Naujamiestis, between Švitrigailos, Dariaus ir Girėno, Panerių, Tūkstantmečio, Iešmininkų, and Prūsų streets. For many decades, it served as an important railway hub, creating thousands of jobs and playing a significant role in the city's economic life.

Currently, this area is still used for the needs of the LTG Group and other industrial and infrastructure activities, but strategically, operations are gradually being moved to new locations. This opens up the opportunity to give this part of the city a new direction – to transform it into a lively, open, and modern urban district, integrated into the urban fabric and adapted to the contemporary needs of Vilnius residents.

In order to open up the historic part of the city to residents and create new urban quality, the LTG Group is consistently investing in the modernization of railway infrastructure and the relocation and transformation of operations to other areas. One of the most important steps in this strategy is the construction of a new electric train depot in Naujoji Vilnia, which will allow part of the operations to be moved from the central city area to a modern, efficiently planned and operating infrastructure," says Egidijus Lazauskas, head of the LTG Group.

This targeted investment decision not only frees up valuable urban space, but also marks a broader transformation of activities – from historically formed industrial use to the development of sustainable, multifunctional urban areas.

According to Egidijus Lazauskas, smooth and constructive cooperation with Vilnius City Municipality allows for a significant acceleration of planning processes and ensures the strategic priority of the Connect II territory. It is expected that investors, in developing this area, will create an environment where modern mobility will blend organically with innovative business and a high quality of life.

According to Laura Kairienė, the city's chief architect, the Connect II area is planned as a multifunctional, vibrant, and unique part of the city, harmoniously combining residential, public, social, service, and office functions.

"The city sees this area as an organic continuation of the Vienaragių Valley that has formed over the last decade – a place where innovative businesses, start-ups, the university community, and newcomers would like to gather," says L. Kairienė.

An international urban planning competition for the Connect II territory development vision is planned to be announced later this year. The vision created during the competition will form the basis for the detailed plan for the Connect II territory, which will be prepared by Vilniaus vystymo kompanija, a company responsible for the development and management of public interest objects in the capital. Preparatory work for the vision for the area has already been completed – restrictions have been identified in order to preserve the valuable railway heritage buildings in the area, and guidelines for possible urban change have been established.

Meanwhile, Go Vilnius, the official business and tourism development agency of the city of Vilnius, is planning a strategic feasibility study aimed at refining the potential of this unique innovation district in Vilnius. Its goal is to analyze best practices from European innovation districts, assess the growth potential of Vilnius's innovation community, and evaluate its needs in terms of infrastructure, services, and environment.

The city and LTG have been cooperating for several years now – last September, both parties, together with the designer, signed a design contract for the implementation of the Connect I territory (station and its access roads) transformation. The vision for the city train has also been intensively developed: possible additional stops within the city limits of Vilnius have been identified, possibilities for improving their access have been discussed, and works have been planned that will allow the existing railway tracks to be adapted not only for inter-city transport but also for the city's needs in the future.