Turku prepares repairs for two neglected 19th-century houses

Turku has taken control of two protected wooden houses in its city centre and is preparing repairs after decades of neglect, Yle reports. Urgent work to prevent further damage is estimated to cost 1.3 million euros.

The houses at Kaskenkatu 3, a property in central Turku, have been at the centre of a dispute over their upkeep for about 20 years. The city repeatedly ordered the owner to make repairs and issued conditional fines. It also filed a criminal complaint.

The owner, property entrepreneur Raimo Puolimatka, bought the buildings for 555,000 euros at a forced auction in early 2025 through another company. He had wanted to demolish them, but donated them to the city in spring 2026. They transferred fully to city control last week.

The two buildings date from the 19th century. The courtyard house was built in 1829–30, while the street-facing building dates from 1892. The lower courtyard building is in such poor condition that an entire wall is missing. The larger house is in somewhat better shape, and still has tiled stoves that the city says are worth preserving.

Getting both roofs repaired is the most urgent priority. Detailed renovation plans are still being prepared. The 1.3 million euro estimate for necessary repairs comes from the building restoration company Restart.

The city is considering possible future uses for the buildings. The larger house could accommodate offices or, potentially, apartments. Salmelainen said the former owner may have been deterred by rising costs, noting that repairs begun in the early 2000s might have been less extensive.

Turku had been ready to use a procedure that would let it carry out repairs and bill the owner, which would have been a first for the city. The donation made that step unnecessary. A partly burned wooden house on Linnankatu, near the port, is also on the city’s renovation list, and officials are discussing next steps with its owner.