Tallinn asking state for additional EUR 6.3 mln for construction of City Theater

TALLINN – The city of Tallinn is asking the state to support the construction of the Tallinn City Theater with an additional 6.3 million euros, because the construction has now become almost 10 million euros more expensive compared to 2020.

According to the original estimate, the works together with the purchase of furnishings would have cost a total of nearly 19.4 million euros and in 2020 nearly 28.4 million euros, half of which was to be paid by the city of Tallinn and half by the state. Tallinn Mayor Mihhail Kolvart said in a letter sent to Minister of Culture Heidy Purga that due to the architectural design competition of the City Theater development project, the fulfillment of special conditions for heritage protection and the rising cost of construction, the project currently costs nearly 37.9 million euros.

Due to the changes, the city of Tallinn is requesting a total of 6.349 million euros as additional support from the state, with which the state support for the City Theater in the years 2018-2024 is a total of 18.949 million euros, or half of the project cost. As of June this year, the Ministry of Culture has allocated 12.6 million euros for the construction of the City Theater.

In 2017, a project was initiated to modernize the Tallinn City Theater, within the framework of which it was planned to renovate the complex consisting of 16 buildings and two courtyards, with the replacement of all engineering networks, and to build two new buildings on the property at 23 Lai Street.

In addition to the City Theater's 9th quarter investments, the city of Tallinn is contributing an additional 13.238 million euros in connection with the development of the City Theater. Of this, 3.92 million euros are for the construction and furnishing of the new production complex of the City Theater at 44d Suur-Sojamae Street, 4.818 million euros for the adaptation of the Salme Cultural Center as a temporary venue during the construction works of the City Theater, and 4.5 million euros for the reconstruction of Aida Street and Suur-Sojamae Street, including the construction of routes and access roads, which are necessary to serve the City Theater.