The sale of the multi-purpose hall, formerly known as the Hartwall arena, got complicated.
There is a “ghost arena” in Pasila, Helsinki. Mikko Huisko
The Russian-owned background company of the Helsinki arena, Helsinki Halli oy, has paid its rent receivables to the city of Helsinki. The matter was confirmed to Iltalehti by the site manager of the City of Helsinki Sami Haapanen.
– According to the information received today, 17.7. the overdue ground rent payment of around 96,000 euros has been made, Haapanen elaborated.
About that first reported by MTV Uutiset.
Helsinki Halli oy is the background company of the multi-purpose arena in Pasila, Helsinki, formerly known as the Hartwall arena.
The arena has been unused since Russia launched a brutal war of aggression in Ukraine, as well-known Russian oligarchs Gennady Timchenko and Roman Rotenberg own through Arena Events o.y. all the hall company’s C-series shares.
They are 44.98 percent of all shares in the holding company, but entitle them to more than 90 percent of the voting power.
Helsingin sanomat newspaper and later Iltalehti reported in August that Helsinki-halli had left one installment of ground rent unpaid.
This opened the possibility of the hall being sold in foreclosure proceedings, but the payment of the arrears now brought a new twist to the case.
– Of course, our collection process ends there, commented Haapanen.
A new process?
The arena is on a leased plot, the annual rent of which, with the recent increases, is around 385,000 euros. The amount is divided into four installments, the next of which is due in mid-October.
Then the same possibility, i.e. filing a lawsuit in the district court to realize the hall, may open up again.
– Yes, if the payment is not made, Haapanen states.
– We actively monitor the income of our ground rent payments. If there is no performance, then the process starts from the beginning, so to speak.