Guest Post: Mansikkapaikka - Imatra's Revitalizing Shopping Center

"Hanne, I've got a job for you." This is how the conversation about Mansikkapaikka began between me and one of Mansikkapaikka's owners, Tuomas Rautio, sometime in 2023. I had been working as an executive assistant for his Lappeenranta-based construction company, Torppari Yhtiöt Oy, for several years and was quite accustomed to Tuomas's imaginative ideas.

"I'm buying Mansikkapaikka with Joel, and we need to sell those spaces. You'd be good at it," Tuomas continued.

"What on earth has he come up with now and what is this Mansikkapaikka?" I thought.
"Oh, sounds interesting. Tell me more!" I replied.

I'm originally from Juva, moved to Lappeenranta in 2014 via Mikkeli and a few other cities - a genuine Savo native for whom Imatra wasn't a particularly familiar place. So I had never heard of this legendary shopping center from 1990, now protected by the National Board of Antiquities, located in Imatra's prime location.

Tuomas's proposal simmered in the recesses of my subconscious, and when his and Joel Mäkelä's company, Kauppakeskus Imatranhelmi Oy, purchased Mansikkapaikka in spring 2024, I jumped into the picture in November 2024 to handle tenant affairs and space sales.

In the photo, Hanne is wearing a Toivehulmu maxi dress in the Unennäkijä pattern.

In its time, Mansikkapaikka was Imatra's largest public building. At the opening, the strawberry cake ran hopelessly short when 13,000 people showed up, but cake had been reserved for only the first 6,000. The opening crowd was entertained by Napakymppi's Kari Salmelainen and pianist Kaitsu. There were clothing stores, a sports shop, a record store, and a supermarket. People bustled through the shopping center corridors. Then the novelty wore off, recession hit, shopping behavior changed, and so on. Finally, the eastern border closed. Many locals have lamented the deterioration of this beautiful shopping center.

With the new owners, however, things have started buzzing at Mansikkapaikka. Several new rental agreements have been made and former ones renewed. Very soon we'll start renovating the entire northern end with the arrival of a new café. For obvious reasons, we have good contacts with construction professionals, so we can quickly renovate spaces according to tenants' needs and wishes.

Recently, astronomically large investments have been made to restore the premises. The biggest investment has been the installation of geothermal heating, and its settings are constantly being fine-tuned. One ventilation machine has also been replaced, the roof improved, and the number of surveillance cameras tripled. Plumbers, electricians, painters, and carpenters have been frequenting the premises, and caretaker Jouni has admirably piloted this renovation ballet. Jouni is also always helping tenants with all kinds of property-related issues. I'm always amazed by Jouni's expertise, whatever the problem may be.

Plans for summer 2025 include a roof renovation, and amidst all this, we're tidying up common areas and enhancing the shopping center's appearance. So we're working hard, even if it might not seem that way to outsiders.

My own work currently focuses on tenant affairs and space sales. I've been in contact with Imatra entrepreneurs, and it's been wonderful to see how positively everyone has responded to Mansikkapaikka and our efforts to improve it. Many discussions have centered around how services are moving more toward the Mansikkala direction. However, our intention is not to fill Mansikkapaikka solely with Imatra-based businesses, but we're constantly discussing and contacting national companies as well. But we want to primarily respond to the needs of Imatra entrepreneurs; to offer good spaces at reasonable rent, so that rental costs don't kill the entrepreneur's profits.

This late winter of 2025, we're starting to renovate spaces for a café that will serve the shopping center's other tenants, customers, and of course the entire Imatra community. As I write this, we are also beginning to search for a candy store entrepreneur for Mansikkapaikka together with Candytown. Candytown will provide the furniture, cash register system, and store setup on a turnkey basis. The entrepreneur's responsibility will then be to run the business independently. Additionally, a group of local small entrepreneurs and craftspeople have dreamed of opening a local shop in Mansikkapaikka. This will likely happen in spring 2025.

In the photo, a Kiva jersey dress in the Kimppu pattern.

I personally rejoice greatly in these developments because this way we can offer work opportunities to a few entrepreneurial good people. Although times are difficult, many are ready to throw in the towel and "everything is ordered online," people still yearn for life and services around them. We're doing our best in that regard with our part at Mansikkapaikka. We can keep rents reasonable, and because our organization is not heavy and rigid, we can react quickly to issues.

I must admit that a small flame of love has been lit in this Savo native's heart for Imatra and its people.

Hanne in Mansikkapaikka's corridor wearing a Huisi jersey dress in the Minimegakukkaralla pattern.

Hanne Huoso
Shopping Center Manager