Former military base Åsegarden near Harstad listed for 120 million kroner

The former military base Åsegarden, located just outside Harstad in the Troms region, is now on the market for 120 million kroner. Håkon Ulriksen, a developer from Ulrix Eiendom, confirmed the sale, highlighting the property’s significant potential. This listing comes just three years after the Norwegian Defence Forces sold the property to Ulrix Eiendom for 21 million kroner.

Previously, the base housed around 1,000 soldiers, but its maintenance has declined in recent years, with ten of the buildings identified as needing extensive repairs, as per a valuation from 2020.

In October, news emerged that 25 unaccompanied minor asylum seekers would be coming to the base. Ulriksen assured that this upcoming influx would not interfere with the property sale, emphasizing that a leasing contract is in place protecting those impacted.

The decision to sell the base has sparked political backlash, with local politician Per-Willy Amundsen from the Progress Party expressing regret over the timing of the sale, which occurred shortly before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He believes that such a sale would not happen today. Amundsen has urged Defence Minister Bjørn Arild Gram to consider reacquiring the 280-acre property, suggesting that it could be done through amicable negotiations, or, if necessary, using expropriation laws.

However, the Defence Ministry has stated that there are no plans to purchase the property back and do not have any opinions regarding its current use. Ulriksen confirmed there has been no interest from the military for a repurchase.