Frequently asked questions

Turto Bankas currently manages around 700,000 square metres of administrative premises across Lithuania, which house various public institutions and authorities. Half of these administrative properties are located in Vilnius, and most of them are of poor energy efficiency class (F or lower). That is to say, such properties are expensive to maintain, inefficient and no longer up to today’s standards. Old buildings are also very inefficient in their use of space, mainly due to corridor systems, wide staircases and other unusable space. The conversion of the administrative district and the relocation of some of the ministries and institutions in Vilnius will free up almost 90,000 square metres of space, create modern working conditions for civil servants, bring the new and renovated buildings up to the A+ energy class, and open up additional public spaces for the citizens. There will also be financial benefits for the country and the taxpayer in terms of savings on maintenance costs.

The preliminary cost of the entire project is around €170 million. The project will be implemented in stages. Once one stage is completed, the authorities will be relocated to the buildings and the vacant space will be sold to finance the next stages of the project. Turto Bankas estimates that the vacating and selling of inefficient premises in Vilnius city centre will generate around €150 million in revenue. The premises will be sold at public auctions, which is likely to increase the amount of money to be raised.

The conversion of the district will result in the elimination of almost 90,000 square metres of inefficient space in Vilnius, and will save taxpayers around €3 million annually in reduced maintenance costs alone.

The conversion of the administrative district is planned in 6 stages. The first stage of the project (adaptation of the building at Goštautas st. 11 for the activities of 3 ministries) is scheduled for completion in Q1 2025. The entire project is scheduled for completion in early 2028.

The conversion of the district is planned according to a number of main principles: to open up new spaces for the citizens, to restore the historic connections of the city, and to make the ground floors of the buildings open and accessible to all. In July 2023, an open international architectural competition will be launched, whose brief will include not only the basic conditions mentioned above, but also input from the ministerial and institutional community and from Vilnius residents (surveys are being prepared). The winner of the architectural competition will be announced in autumn 2024, at that time it will be clear what the final look of the district will be.

The Goštautas st. administrative district is located in a historical site dating back to the 15th century. There was a settlement of Lithuanian Tatars called Tatar Lukiškės. The name itself comes from the name of a Tatar man, Luka, who lived here in the 1500s. In 1559–1567 Lukiškės belonged to Izmail and Tahatar Kurmaševičius, grandsons of Luka. In 1631 there were 32 Tatar houses and 192 inhabitants in Lukiškės, in 1715 – 39 families, in 1777 – 97 Tatar inhabitants. In the 15th century and later, Tatars used to graze horses on the present Lukiškės Square. A few years ago, during the reconstruction of Lukiškės Square, archaeologists found Tartar arrowheads and female jewellery.

The Tatar Lukiškės was quite large – the area from the Church of Saints Philip and James to the current building of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania. The only Tatar house on Lukiškės st. that has not been demolished is now a school, which is also located on the territory of the former Tatar Lukiškės, next to the prison.

During the Soviet era, the Tatar Lukiškės were destroyed: in 1968, the mosque was demolished and replaced by the Institute of Semiconductor Physics, the cemetery was also destroyed.

After Lithuania regained its independence, scientific activities continued in the building complex, and after the construction of modern premises in Saulėtekis, the complex was transferred to the management of Turto Bankas. Some of the premises are now adapted to modern needs and are occupied by public authorities, but most of the premises are empty and worn out.

Currently, the estate already employs around 1,000 people, and this number is set to quadruple. Vilnius has much larger administrative districts and does not face major traffic challenges.

Please note that the ministry buildings are currently located in the central part of the city, so the traffic flow will be adjusted, but will not increase to and from the central part of the city.

There will also be close cooperation with Vilnius City Municipality to improve the accessibility of the complex. The district will be open to the public, with a pedestrian alley running through it, easy access to public transport, bicycle storage and scooter charging stations. Civil servants will be encouraged to use alternatives to private transport.