On Monday, a discussion on objections for the proposed training hall was conducted in the so-called Superministry building. Among others, RKAS, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance, Memento Union, and local residents participated.

One of the alternatives to the training hall was to find a different location for it. Mihkel Mäger, director of real estate development, told ERR that there is no alternative property in the company's portfolio that would be close to Maarjamäe. He added that the company has also turned to Tallinn city government.

Mäger said: "By our initial assessment, the property in question is suitable for an indoor hall but we are waiting for the city's response. We can make a proposal to FCI Levadia when the city has given us their consent."

There has been no alternate location proposed yet, but talks of a property near the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences (Sisekaitseakadeemia) at Kase tänav 68b have come up.

Mari Heinsoo, head of the Urban Planning Board at Tallinn city government, told ETV's daily affairs show "Aktuaalne kaamera" on Monday: "We know that Tallinn Property Department has proposed that location but we must assess the proposal in city government and with different agencies."

Mäger added that since the properties of the memorial and the planned indoor training hall both belong to RKAS, then the usage of the properties needs to be ad hoc.

Professional football team FCI Levadia wants to develop an indoor training hall at Maarjamäe, RKAS signed an agreement on the estbalishment of a right of superficies with Levadia in 2005, which will last until 2041.

ERR News wrote on June 16 that justice minister Raivo Aeg (Isamaa) has hit out at plans to construct an indoor training hall for professional football team Levadia, saying that its Maarjamäe site, in Tallinn, would be too close to the Memorial to the Victims of Communism. 

At the same time, the detailed plan of the indoor hall was prepared earlier than that of the memorial.

Both representatives of the repressed and authors of the memorial are now syaing the football hall is not suitable to be next to the memorial.

Kalle Vellevoog, architect and one of the creators of the memorial, told "Aktuaalne kaamera" on Monday: "The visual conflict between the two buildings - one is a memorial and next to it, a sports hall - those things are in clear contradiction and everyone would notice."

Local residents have said that the height of the training hall is bothersome and the loud nature of the sport would rob them of their peace and quiet. However, there are football pitches at the location now that FCI Levadia is using.

Indrek Hein, representative of local residents, said: "It is a shame that Levadia has the right to use the location for trainings, but in actuality, there are matches played there every week. The noise bothers us a lot but an indoor hall would also pollute visually."

Deputy Mayor: The city is not part of the disagreement

Deputy Mayor of Tallinn, Andrei Novikov (Center), told ERR that the city is not part of the disagreements and the government should speak with the head of FCI Levadia, Viktor Levada, and discuss the details of the contract.

Novikov expressed his frustrations that the city has been dragged into the argument: "In regards to the propoerty, a new detail plan should be drawn and analyses made if construction can even be done there. What is the purpose of the property, is it residential, social, there are so many conditions. In addition, if the residents agree with it."

Novikov said that the state should amend the contract with Levada if proximity with the Memorial to the Victims of Communism is an issue. But before all, the ministries should find a common solution in-house.

Novikov added: "Right now, and I don't want to say bad things, this seems like a game that RKAS has been dragged into."

The Deputy Mayor explained that this behavior is discriminating.

He concluded: "The memorial is not for reaping political benefits and it is a shame that that is happening."

Architect: Indoor hall would decrease amount of noise at the memorial

Margit Mutso, architect at the Eek&Mutso bureau behind the project, said that the noise level would not increase with the indoor hall there and if the hall is built according to the detailed plan, it would also improve traffic in the area, along with noise.

Mutso said: "The hall itself will not increase noise levels, rather by looking at it from the memorial, it would decrease it. It is almost like a noise barrier. And the detailed plan would solve the noise issue that residents have currently."

Mutso said a visually pleasing and dignified hall can be built. He stated that if there is no hall, six years of work will go down the drain, affecting the football club most.

The final decision regarding the indoor hall will be made by the public administration minister Jaak Aab (Center), who, in a letter sent to RKAS on June 26, stated that he is in support of opening discussions to find a working solution.

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