Owner seeks permit to expand long-closed Koli spa

The owner of the Koli Lotus spa, which has stood empty for more than nine years, has applied to the town of Lieksa for permission to renovate and expand the building, Yle reports. The plans would add a restaurant and hotel rooms, more than doubling its floor area from 1,100 to over 2,200 square metres.

The Kolin Lotus company submitted its application in September, reviving plans similar to those it filed in 2019. The earlier permit expired two years ago. Lieksa building inspector Jorma Sarkkinen said the town would grant a new permit if the application meets the requirements. Authorities are currently being asked for comments.

Sarkkinen said he was doubtful the project would go ahead. The spa building and its interiors are likely to require major renovation, he said, and the unused swimming-pool equipment would need replacing.

A Russian-owned company, Zander Port, built the spa in the 2010s near Koli village. Construction was interrupted several times, including when the main contractor went bankrupt in 2013. The town halted work once in 2014 over inadequate site plans. The spa eventually opened in the summer of 2015 but closed in spring 2017, after operating for less than two years. Zander Port went bankrupt the following year.

The spa’s current owner, Kolin Lotus, acquired the property after the bankruptcy. Its owner and managing director, Georg Jaruta, had also been Zander Port’s managing director. Jaruta is a Finnish citizen, and Russian nationals also sit on the companies’ boards. He owns a separate company that has six semi-detached houses and one VIP cabin in nearby Purnuniemi. Yle was unable to reach Jaruta for comment.

The property currently has no water connection or valid water service agreement. Connecting a building of the proposed size to the local water and sewer networks would cost 28,400 euros, including tax, with an annual basic charge of 9,300 euros. The Lieksa water utility had outstanding claims from the former spa operator, but Kolin Lotus has paid Zander Port’s debts to the town.