New water park to be built in Tartu in coming years

TALLINN - For four years, OÜ R2 Spa, a subsidiary of Tartu Tarbijate Kooperatiiv (Tartu Consumers' Cooperative), has wanted to build a water park and swimming pool near the Lõunakeskus shopping center in the southern Estonian university town of Tartu, and according to current plans, the center will open its doors in four years, the regional Tartu Postimees writes.

During the lengthy planning, it was discussed, among other things, that 50-meter swim lanes could be built in the water park, where current and future Olympic hopefuls could practice. Due to a lack of money, this idea will probably have to be abandoned. The water park will primarily be a place for families to relax, but the wish is to give it added value, which is why various options have also been considered with sports clubs, according to R2 Spa board member Tarmo Punger and sales manager Karl Voo.

"We wanted to build 50-meter lanes here, which would be suitable for Olympic competitors to practice in, but we had to abandon this idea and the lanes will be half as short," Voo said. "The reason is that the maintenance costs of such a large pool would be too high for it to justify itself if Kregor Zirk alone swims here in one lane, because most enthusiasts prefer a shorter distance lane. Youth competitions can also be held with 25-meter lanes."

Kaja Haljaste, former coach of Olympic athlete Kregor Zirg, expressed disappointment upon hearing that 50-meter lanes would not be added to the new swimming pool.

"I knew until now that there would be long lanes as well. This is a shame, because in addition to competitions, sports camps could also be organized there. In essence, it would be possible to organize an event there every month, which would bring hundreds of people to Tartu," Haljaste said. "Since Aura Keskus also closed its doors in the summer, we had to travel to a camp in Riga with the team of the European Championships and the Nordic Youth Championships."

Punger clarified that the idea of ​​a pool with 50-meter lanes has not been abandoned completely. If money were to be obtained from somewhere to cover the costs, it would still be possible to change the plans and build a bigger pool. For example, the Ministry of Culture, in cooperation with the Estonian Olympic Committee and local governments, has prepared a list of sports facilities of national importance, in the development of which the state could contribute in cooperation with local governments in the coming years. A swimming pool with 50-meter lanes is included in the list.

Although a swimming pool with 50-meter lanes is on the list of sports facilities of national importance, this does not guarantee that it will be built. The financing of the construction of sports facilities depends on the possibilities of the state and local government budgets and the priorities of the local government.

"Currently, there is no money and no system for financing the objects on the list," Tarvi Pürn, deputy secretary general for sports at the Ministry of Culture, said.

He added that this year, the ministry's budget includes 2.7 million euros for sports investments, which will be divided between Tehvandi sports center, Jõulumäe recreational sports center and regional recreational sports centers. The ministry will not finance other objects this year.

In 2020-2023, the state supported the construction of football halls with 20 million euros, but due to a lack of money and an increase in construction prices, the projects were not continued this year. For the same reason, the project of building service buildings for recreational sports centers, which the state supported last year with three million euros, was not continued.

However, due to the difficult budget situation, it is not possible to plan investment subsidies for next year. In the event that such opportunities arise in the following years, the first direct partner of the Ministry of Culture will be the local government, which is responsible for shaping the local sports infrastructure. It is important that the supported object is among the priorities of the local government, Pürn said.

This means that, as the use of public money must be transparent and cost-effective, a public sector order would first be required and a public competition would have to be announced to find a developer or builder.

"Representatives of R2 Spa have not approached the ministry, but at the same time, it would not be possible to support an object to be built by the private sector only on the basis of an application," the deputy secretary general said.

Tartu Deputy Mayor Lemmit Kaplinski also did not give any hope of finding the money, adding that the city is also experiencing difficulties.

"Yes, we have limited swimming facilities, and of course the city would be glad if they were improved," the deputy mayor said. "However, if we look at the financial possibilities of the city, we are currently in a situation where starting work on new projects in the near future is highly improbable."

Mayor Urmas Klaas talked to the developer about a year ago. He noted that the issue is not a one-time investment, that is, building a swimming pool, but annual maintenance costs.

"Maintaining such a pool would require support from public funds of at least 400,000 euros per year, so that the owner would make ends meet. This far exceeds the amounts with which the city currently supports various sports facilities," the mayor said. "Preparation for the Olympics and the need for an Olympic-size swimming pool is a topic that needs the support of the Estonian Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Culture. This cannot be the task of Tartu taxpayers alone, especially in the current economic situation."