Office building to be built at Maarjamäe instead of football training hall
FC Levadia, who wanted to build an indoor football training hall next to the Memorial to the Victims of Communism at Tallinn's Maarjamäe, has offered a compromise and will now install an office building instead. A different location for the football hall will be found.
At a meeting with stakeholders on Thursday, the majority of participants supported the compromise solution, the Ministry of Justice said.
Minister of Public Administration Jaak Aab (Center Party) and the Minister of Justice Raivo Aeg (Isamaa) met with stakeholders, representatives of local residents, the Estonian Memory Institute and a representative of FC Levadia.
The office building will be smaller than the proposed football hall and, according to the ministry is more suitable to be in the vicinity of the memorial.
Aeg said: "As justice minister, I am in favor that children and adults should have a place and the possibilities to participate in sports, but a football hall next to the memorial for the victims of communism is not suitable due to the noise and dignity of the memorial. The construction of the administrative building was a suitable compromise for us both visually and considering the lower noise level."
The majority of participants supported the compromise.
"FC Levadia proposed the compromise solution as a developer. In cooperation with the city of Tallinn, we are looking for a new location for the hall," said Aeg.
In July, ERR News reported that Aab had given the go-ahead for the indoor football training hall. Aab said the plans had not violated anyone's rights and predated the memorial, which was unveiled in 2018.
Aeg opposed the plans as inappropriate in being so close to the memorial, both in terms of the hall's skyline profile, and potential noise levels. Other opponents included historical memory societies and local residents.
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.
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Editor: Helen Wright