Kompassi Square high-rise plans uncertain as talks in Tallinn continue
Despite recent media coverage, plans for a new high-rise in Central Tallinn's Kompassi Square remain uncertain as the city continues early-stage talks with the developer.
The project, previously shown in visuals published on the real estate portal Citify, has not been approved and may never move forward.
G11 OÜ, a company affiliated with the developer Endover, has asked Tallinn Urban Planning Department (TLPA) to initiate a detailed plan for the Gonsiori 11 and Maneeži 11/Reimani 12 plot, proposing a building of up to 13 stories.
City officials stress the site has no building rights and that discussions remain preliminary.
Keiti Kljavin, lead specialist for planning processes at the TLPA, said pre-consultations with the developer were still ongoing when at some point a formal application was also entered into Tallinn's planning register.
"Our goal now is to continue talks and find a better urban design solution," she said, stressing that the submitted application does not reflect a mutual agreement with the city.
City architect Andro Mänd said the process is still at an early stage, noting that the application does not guarantee construction.
"While we are in talks with Endover, that does not automatically mean any development will be built there or what form it would take," Mänd said.
Several processes still lie ahead either way, he said, including public involvement and consultations with neighbors.
Public square to remain
The city architect also confirmed Kompassi Square will remain part of the area in some form.
"The city square will definitely remain," Mänd said. "You can see on the renderings in the media that the square was actually still there, albeit smaller than the current square."
He added that any development at that scale must meet a strong public interest threshold given the site's current role as a public space.
Kompassi Square was state-owned until 2015, when the property was sold at auction to Endover for €540,000 despite lacking building rights. The auction went ahead even after the City of Tallinn had applied for municipal ownership of the square.
Six months earlier, Endover bought a neighboring former Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA) dormitory, later redeveloping it into the Ambassador, a luxury residential complex.
In 2018, the company began planning a 13-story tower for the site. At the time, the city refused to grant additional building rights for the square and opened talks with the developer to persuade it to abandon the plan.
The following year, the City of Tallinn announced plans for an underground parking facility and a redesigned public square, but the project never materialized.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
