National Museum Project Transferred to State Real Estate Company
The much-delayed project to create a new home for the National Museum in Tartu saw a new development on September 2, with Ministry of Culture announcing that responsibility for the 63-million-euro facility's construction is being handed over to Riigi Kinnisvara, the state real estate company.
Discussions between all involved parties regarding the change are to take place in the ministry both today and next week, Eesti Päevaleht reported.
Minister of Culture Rein Lang had earlier made statements to the media to the effect that, in light of the lack of success in getting the project off the ground, it would be better to put experts in charge.
The troubled museum has had its building plans stalled for years.
The building - based on an ambitious modern design by a France-based architecture office - was originally supposed to be completed by this fall, but not even the foundation has been laid.
In spring, the museum's foundation failed to find a bidder who would offer to take on the construction for the 38 million euros allotted in the project, and in June the European Commission turned down the foundation's application for 32 million euros in funding support.
Last week, museum director Krista Aru told ERR that a new application had been submitted to the EC that includes a number of changes, including having the construction works handled by six separate contractors instead of one.
Lang told ETV in July that the project would go ahead with or without EC funding.
Steve Roman