Tallinn's Rävala Quarter development dispute reaches Supreme Court
A dispute over the detailed plan for the Rävala Quarter development in Tallinn city center has reached the Supreme Court, meaning it is currently unclear when construction can begin.
Construction of the planned Rävala Quarter in the heart of Tallinn remains on hold, as a legal dispute with residents of Kaubamaja tänav that began a few years ago has now reached the Supreme Court.
Meelis Aab, a member of the management board of developer Rävala Galleries OÜ, told ERR that the dispute over the adoption of the detailed plan has reached the Supreme Court and that it is not currently known when the court will issue its ruling or what the outcome will be.
The legal dispute began after the Tallinn City Government adopted the detailed plan for the Rävala Quarter in 2023. Residents of the Kaubamaja 4 building, located next to the future development, challenged the decision in the Tallinn Administrative Court. The court partially annulled the plan, which the residents said would significantly reduce the value of apartments in their building.
More specifically, the residents objected to a commercial building planned for the site of the current Melon shopping center. The building's seven-story section would be 40 meters tall, while its five-story section would be 33 meters tall. The sections would be located in the quarter's inner courtyard, in front of the windows of Kaubamaja 4.
However, the Tallinn Circuit Court found the detailed plan to be valid, Aab said.
As the legal proceedings have yet to conclude, it also remains unclear when construction of the quarter can begin.
"Preparations required for the development are continuing. The substation in the courtyard is scheduled to be taken out of service and the building housing it demolished later this year. Preparations are also underway to demolish the existing buildings," Aab said.
Archaeological excavations have been underway at the site since spring 2025 and will continue next year.
"Under the current plan, approximately 90 percent of the archaeological fieldwork should be completed by fall 2026. The work is scheduled to be completed in June 2027," Aab said.
Under the detailed plan, the Rävala Galerii retail and business quarter will be built on the site of the current Melon shopping center and the Designers' House. A street running through the quarter will connect Estonia puiestee and Rävala puiestee. The development will cover more than 85,000 square meters.
Rävala Galleries OÜ is wholly owned by Go Group.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski
