The real estate company SBB bought Sara cultural center from Skellefteå municipality for one billion kroner. The municipality then signed a 50-year lease with SBB.
SBB is severely affected by the crisis and has large debts. Two-thirds of the market value has disappeared since the turn of the year. Now a new fallow loss of SEK 11.1 billion before tax is announced for the second quarter of the year.
Skellefteå is not affected
To strengthen the balance sheet, SBB is now selling properties and announced on Thursday that it has signed letters of intent with various municipalities that lease properties that they once sold to SBB.
But Skellefteå municipality is not one of these municipalities.
– We are not affected. We have a good and long agreement with SBB, says municipal board chairman Lorents Burman (S).
M wanted to sell
In May this year, the Moderates in Skellefteå raised the issue of buying back the Sara cultural center in the municipal council.
– I think we should bid under SEK 1 billion. SBB is under pressure and needs the money, said Andreas Löwenhöök (M), opposition councilor in Skellefteå to SVT at the time.
The proposal was voted down by the Social Democrats, the Left Party and the Sweden Democrats.