The city of Pieksämäki has terminated the land lease contract of the hotel due to unpaid rents. It is likely that the city will be responsible for the demolition work and the costs incurred.
When Savonsolmu opened its doors in 1976, it was the finest hotel in Pieksämäki, and also the only one. Over the years, Savonsolmu grew into a legendary entertainment centre with a 70s-inspired interior that left no one cold. Pieksämäkians have many fond memories of the hotel.
Brandt says that over the years he has found life partners in Savonsolmu while dancing.
– It was a really good place to visit. There were quizzes and it was a good place to eat, among other things.
Both Rintanen and Brandt have watched the fate of the hotel located in the best location in the city with sorrow.
– It has been sad to watch this fate that Savonsolmu has had for years. Why did it have to be used as snuff, says Rintanen.
– Yes, it’s a sad situation, it’s broken so badly now. After all, there hasn’t been any heat there for a long time, so it’s in a state of disrepair, Brandt laments.
Savonsolmu’s golden years ended a long time ago, but the final decline began in the spring of 2021, when the building was auctioned to a company registered in Sweden. The new owner promised to renovate the building and continue hotel operations, but the opposite happened. The empty building has experienced a lot of vandalism recently.
The hotel is located on a city plot, and the owner of the building has not paid rent on the plot for over a year. The city canceled the land lease this fall.
– Now we are waiting for the decision to become legally binding, after which the tenant has six months to demolish the building and tidy up the plot, says Tarkiainen.
If this does not happen, the city of Pieksämäki intends to apply for eviction through the district court. After that, the property would be available to the city.
There are about 20,000 thousand euros in arrears for the rent of the plot, and the expenses probably won’t stop there.
– The most significant costs come from cleaning the building and the plot. There is no assessment of them yet, as it is not known what harmful substances are found inside, says Tarkiainen.
He thinks that the demolition of the building will ultimately be the responsibility of the city, as the city of Pieksämäki has not been in contact with the current owner of Savonsolmu for more than a year.
– These are long processes, and I don’t think that anything will happen on the Savonsolmu site for the rest of the year, says Tarkiainen.
The townspeople understand the demolition plans for the hotel, even if they mourn the fate of the building.
– Whatever you do to it, it’s not nice to look at it like that, if it’s not dismantled. Of course, it’s a sad feeling when someone like that loses, Pentti Brandt says.
*–* It’s a bit of a double-edged sword. It’s awful if you have to completely dismantle it, but the costs are impossible if you restore it and put it in good condition. That I can’t give a definite answer as to what should be done, says Airi Rintanen from Pieksämäk.
*You can discuss the topic on 14.11. until 23:00*