Demolition work to begin on Kauppalinna shopping center in Savonlinna

The long-abandoned Kauppalinna shopping center in Savonlinna will soon disappear from the city’s landscape as demolition work begins next week. Jarmo Eevala, a construction engineer for the city, announced that the demolition project is set to start on Monday and will continue until December, with plans to complete the demolition by December 5.

According to the contractor, heavy machinery will not arrive on-site next week. Instead, initial work will focus on fencing the area. The mechanical demolition is scheduled for later in August.

The vacant building, which has stood empty since January 2021, has suffered significant vandalism both inside and out. Eevala noted that traffic around Kauppalinna may be affected during the demolition, and the contractor will be responsible for directing traffic with signage if disruptions occur.

As of now, the planned future use of the site remains unclear; by December, the lot will only consist of a flat, cleared space.

Kauppalinna, which changed ownership to the city in April, had its windows and doors boarded up with plywood and became a designated space for graffiti over the summer. Artists can still work on their pieces until Sunday, after which the site will be closed off as a work zone.

Last fall, efforts to auction the abandoned shopping center online started at a base price of 40,000 euros, but no bids were received. Ultimately, the city purchased the property for 35,000 euros through an agreement with the enforcement agency, and the city council has allocated 400,000 euros for its demolition costs.