Construction, Estonia, Forum, Good for Business, Legislation, Real Estate

The goal is to get the conference centre ready by 2018, when Estonia becomes the European Union Presiding state.

Estonian state-owned Enterprise Estonia foundation (EAS) estimates that this deadline is unrealistic. "By 2018, it is quite unrealistic plan to complete it. The concrete simply does not dry that fast; Linnahall is a very complex object, which is under heritage protection," said EAS Tourism Development Centre Tourism Marketing manager Ott Sarapuu.

Entrepreneurship Minister Urve Palo is however optimistic. "It is very difficult for me to name dates today, however, the desire is that this thing could progress quickly and I work according to that wish, to get ready for the year 2018. I have not given up on it yet, but reasonably thinking, I can understand that it is very optimistic. But not impossible," stressed Palo.

The Ministry of Economy and state-owned port operator company Tallinna Sadam are holding negotiations with Linnahall owner, the city of Tallinn, which is also interested in the construction of the conference centre.

Ott Sarapuu said that the EU Presidency could be held without a new conference centre too, based on rooms existing currently, although it would be easier if there was a conference centre that could be used. "We do not have the aim to do it fast, but we need to think about building a conference centre, which would be competitive at world level," he added.

"Today, because Estonia does not have such a large conference centre, around 50 conferences a year fail to come here, that means 20,000 tourists. Revenues associated with it could be about 20 million euros, not to mention new jobs, about 400," said minister of Palo.

Renovating Linnahall into a conference centre would cost 50-70 million. An alternative would be the construction of a new building next to Linnahall or elsewhere.

The giant Linnahall complex in central Tallinn, next to the passenger port, was built for the 1980 Olympics as a concert and sports venue and it has been in a very bad state and unused for the past few years. The city of Tallinn has held multiple tenders to find a developer for the area but things have not progressed since the investments required are big and the object is under heritage protection.