Tartu Mill industrial area could make way for new homes, offices
The City of Tartu is planning a mixed-use redevelopment of a former industrial area near the main railway station, with offices, commercial space and apartments.
The city government has initiated a detailed plan for the four-hectare site at Lembitu 1b and Väike kaar 41 and 41b, behind the Lembitu Coop supermarket and adjacent to the railway. The area includes Tartu Mill's existing operations.
Deputy Mayor Kertu Vuks (Reform) said the goal is to gradually move industrial activity out of the area and make room for new development.
"Tartu Mill will continue operating, but we're planning a different kind of development around it, giving the former railway infrastructure and warehouse sites a new character," she added.
The current plan for the site would allow office and commercial buildings alongside apartment buildings, which could account for up to 40 percent of the development. Buildings would generally range from three to six stories, with up to 10 percent of the site allowed to have buildings as tall as eight stories.
A preliminary design is expected within six months.
A strategic environmental assessment will not be required, although noise mitigation measures will be necessary due to the site's proximity to the railway, Vuks added.
Several new developments
The proposal is the latest in a series of redevelopment plans for Central Tartu and surrounding areas.
New residential and commercial districts are also planned or already in the works for the sites of the current Zeppelin shopping center and a former district heating plant, while the adjacent Port Athena development is already well on its way toward completion.
Kaisa Hiire, Southern Estonian regional manager for Domus Kinnisvara, said the real estate market was ready for more centrally located housing, including not just small units suitable for students but also larger apartments that can accommodate families.
"Families also want to live somewhere they can utilize the surrounding infrastructure and services without hassle," she said, pointing to the convenience of walkable and bikeable shopping, cafes, libraries, schools and kindergartens.
Hiire nonetheless doesn't expect these newest developments to have a significant effect on average property prices across the Tartu region.
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Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi, Aili Vahtla
