Uus-Karlowa development launched at site of Tartu’s former boiler house
In cooperation with Giga, we are building an apartment building with three commercial units on the Turu 18 plot on the banks of the River Emajõgi in Tartu. The new development will be called Uus-Karlowa, after the district it is located in, and will eventually also include a hotel and an office building.
In the coming years, the former industrial property that once provided district heat to Tartu residents will become a modern residential and workplace environment as well as an appealing urban space in its own right. By dint of its location in the historical Karlova district, Uus-Karlowa will combine the best elements of the neighbourhood – proximity to the city centre, riverside living – with additional amenities.
“A place that once provided essential energy to townspeople will, under the new name Uus-Karlowa, become an area where energy will flow through people, the community and modern life. This quarter is an extension of Karlova district in the direction of the future and one that offers the highest-quality most modern solutions,” said Indrek Jakobsoo, the CEO OÜ Giga Investeeringud, which owns the property.
Uus-Karlowa is for those who want to experience life close to the heart of the town, daily convenience and an inspiring environment for living on the banks of the Emajõgi. The development will have three six-storey buildings, with storefronts on the ground floor complementing the 2-5-room apartments. The architecture is by Kadarik Tüür Arhitektid. The buildings will be built by a joint venture between OÜ Giga Investeeringud and OÜ Merko Kodud, called Turu 18 Kodud OÜ.
“The design development has proceeded at a fast clip. We plan to file for a building permit for the apartment buildings from the city of Tartu in the near future. Depending on the time at which the permit is used and the customers’ expectations, construction can begin within 2026. In that case, they could be completed in 2028,“ said Indrek Tarto, the director of OÜ Merko Kodud .
The buildings, which will share a parking level, will be surrounded by a modern and diverse urban area that will make the property pleasant for its homeowners and open up a stretch of the riverbank for the public. A promenade next to the new development will extend the public space along the river all the way to Sõpruse Bridge.
The scale of the project including both the Turu 18 residential buildings and the future hotel and office building makes Uus-Karlowa one of the biggest developments in the Tartu city centre. The spatial plan calls for a development footprint of about 40,000 m², including about 200 apartment units, 15,000 m² of commercial space and approximately 10,000 m² of underground parking.
For more on the Uus-Karlowa apartment buildings and to signal your preliminary interest, visit merko.ee/uus-karlowa.