Hotel Plot Cleared in Juhannuskylä as Zoning Advances; Pinja to Be Replaced by Eight‑Storey Block

A new hotel plot will be created on the site of the rescue department’s demolished extension in Juhannuskylä. The neighbourhood-wide zoning amendment, excluding the cathedral and part of Rautatienkatu, advanced at the urban planning board meeting on 21 September 2026 with only minor adjustments.

The plan permits service housing at Lapintie 4 and an eight‑storey replacement on Satakunnankatu 10 where the 1980s Hotel Pinja stands, while retaining cultural protection markings that require preservation of the most valuable historic buildings. Blocks were reshaped, a cycle and pedestrian link was reintroduced along the old Palokunnankatu through to Pellavatehtaankatu, and the name Tuomiokirkonpuisto was preserved with a Lotta Svärd square around the memorial. Public consultation ran 12 February–16 March 2026 and drew four authority statements and 26 objections. Officials judged noise, vibration and healthy living conditions adequately addressed, so the plan was not reissued for public display.

Designers refined the Satakunnankatu proposal to better fit the heritage context and added a rule preventing technical rooms above the roofline; the building's height was unchanged. Lapintie 4 was altered at the applicant’s request to explicitly allow service housing, and its massing was reduced by one storey after Pirha expressed support. Engagement during the process included videos, public events and briefings for local housing companies.

The move follows earlier planning material that proposed a hotel behind the central fire station and an eight‑storey replacement for Hotel Pinja as outlined in October planning documents.