Fate of historic Berkeley building (and family home) hangs in the balance as tax debt looms

"After years in an ownership black hole, with community members donating their time and dollars to keep it from falling apart, the next chapter of Berkeley's Old Finnish Hall will soon be up to the county auction block. The 1908 building has racked up nearly $1 million in back property tax to Alameda County, a mushrooming liability years in the making that shows no signs of abating."

"I just hope whomever takes on the building is willing to preserve it and find the best possible use for it, preferably as a community asset, said Krista Gulbransen, executive director of the Berkeley Property Owners Association, a landlord group, and one of several people who've volunteered over the past several years to help the landmark."

"Known by the Finnish name Toveri Tupa, which translates closely to Comrades Lounge, the hall was once a popular gathering place for Berkeley's sizable Finnish immigrant population in the early 1990s. Many Finns moved to Berkeley after San Francisco's 1906 fire. The building later transitioned to more general community use."

Berkeley's Toveri Tuppa Finnish Hall, a 1908 city historical landmark, will be sold at Alameda County's tax defaulted property auction due to nearly $1 million in accumulated back property taxes. The building, originally a gathering place for Berkeley's Finnish immigrant community, has been owned by a defunct nonprofit and maintained through community volunteer efforts and donations. A leaking roof and deferred maintenance halted most public use for years. The property will be auctioned online with over 200 other county properties, requiring a $5,000 refundable deposit from interested bidders. Community advocates hope the new owner will preserve the architecturally distinct landmark and maintain it as a community asset.

Read at www.berkeleyside.org