HS: Master plan an obstacle to converting offices to flats in central Helsinki

OFFICIALS at the City of Helsinki have rejected proposals to convert commercial premises into residential ones at the heart of the city, reports Helsingin Sanomat.

Rikhard Manninen, the head of land use at the City of Helsinki, said officials oppose the idea of converting offices into flats due to the master city plan, which does not outright prohibit such conversions but prescribes that the amount of commercial space should not decrease in central Helsinki.