Tallinn Deputy Mayor Tiit Terik wrote in a letter sent to the Ministry of Culture on Tuesday that the public procurement for an Olympic-standard swimming and sports complex planned by the city of Tallinn has been carried out, and the results are in. The tender was won by Tondiraba Ujula OÜ whose bid includes a request for city support in the amount of €19,849,999.

Terik recalled that Tallinn and the Ministry of Culture have collaborated in the past, co-financing, for example, the construction of the Tallinn City Theatre (Linnateater).

"I believe that similar cooperation should continue for large and socially significant projects. The importance of the Tondiraba swimming pool certainly exceeds the needs of only Tallinn's athletes and residents and has a more nationwide significance."

According to the proposal, both parties would support the construction of the sports complex with a 50-meter swimming pool with nearly two million euros each in 2025, with around €3.5 million each in 2026 and, in 2027, with €4.5 million each.

The Ministry of Culture's undersecretary for sports previously responded to the city that while the ministry sees the need to build a 50-meter pool that meets both international requirements and the training needs of amateur athletes, the state has not had the financial resources in recent years.

"To change the situation, the government coalition program of the Reform Party, Eesti 200 and the Social Democratic Party for 2023-2027 includes the following point under the sports sector: 'We will develop principles for funding nationally important sports facilities, taking into account regional balance, and seek funding for them.' Consequently, the Ministry of Culture plans to present to the government principles for supporting nationally important sports facilities and proposals for possible funding sources," Deputy Secretary General Tarvi Pürn wrote in a letter sent on March 21.

The Tallinn City Property Department announced a public procurement on January 15, 2024, with the aim of signing a concession agreement for the property at Kuukivi tänav 3 for the construction and operation of a building, including an Olympic-standard swimming pool, and for the parking area and building on the property at Kuukivi tänav 5 as the first phase.

The tender received one bid from Tondiraba Ujula OÜ, which included a request for an investment subsidy of €19.8 million. The bid was deemed successful, and activities are now continuing for the signing of the concession agreement and the establishment of building rights agreements.

The building is contractually set to be completed within 34 months from the signing of the procurement contract, meaning the opening of the building is planned for the beginning of 2027.

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