Rävala quarter dispute reaches Estonia’s Supreme Court
Tuesday 1st September 2026 on 14:00 in
Estonia
A dispute over the detailed plan for Tallinn’s planned Rävala quarter has reached Estonia’s Supreme Court, leaving the start of construction uncertain, ERR reports.
Meelis Aab, a board member of developer Rävala Galleries OÜ, told ERR that the dispute over approval of the detailed plan is now before the Supreme Court. It is not known when the court will issue its decision or what the outcome will be.
The legal case began after Tallinn City Government approved the detailed plan in 2023. Residents of the neighbouring apartment building at Kaubamaja 4 challenged the decision in the administrative court, arguing that the plan would significantly reduce the value of their apartments.
The residents specifically objected to a business building planned on the site of the current Melon shopping centre. Its seven-storey section would be 40 metres high and its five-storey section 33 metres high. Both sections would stand in the quarter’s inner courtyard, directly in front of the windows of Kaubamaja 4.
The circuit court later found the detailed plan to be lawful, Aab said. However, because the dispute is still pending, the timetable for construction remains unclear.
Preparations for the development are continuing. A substation in the courtyard is scheduled to be taken out of service and demolished this year, while preparations are also under way to demolish existing buildings.
Archaeological excavations have been taking place at the site since last spring and will continue next year. Under the current plan, about 90 percent of the archaeological fieldwork should be completed by autumn 2026, with all work scheduled to end in June 2027, Aab said.
Under the detailed plan, the Rävala Galerii shopping and business quarter will be built on the sites of the current Melon shopping centre and the designers’ building. A street running through the quarter will connect Estonia Boulevard and Rävala Boulevard. The development covers more than 85,000 square metres.
Rävala Galleries OÜ is wholly owned by Go Group.