The new complex is due to be built on land between Suur-Ameerika and Väike-Ameerika streets in central Tallinn, next to the "superministry" building and on a plot that had been used as a sports field.

The city government's list requested €40-€60 million towards the reconstruction of Suur-Ameerika, another the €10 million for work on nearby Koidu tänav, in the Uus Mailm neighborhood.

The required detailed plan is still under preparation, however.

On October 8 this year, the head of Tallinn's urban planning department Martin Karro addressed the U.S. embassy and noted that a local residents' association will not back the planned build until clear agreements are reached on how local residents are to be compensated for the loss of green space.

This issue had been raised before when the capital's government was led by the Center Party.

Deputy Mayor of Tallinn Madle Lippus (SDE) said part of this compensation should come from the U.S., which in any case also has an interest in the surrounding urban space, she said.

Lippus said: "We have in general a co-financing agreement which provides for contributions to functionally related objects based on a set formula."

Karro noted in his communique that, under the same formula, the U.S. would need to put up €215,000, though this figure is not final.

"In the given case the development's realization brings out a need comprehensively to examine the surrounding urban space and to develop the street area surrounding the embassy at an expedited pace," the official wrote.

He noted that the required developments involve significant costs, and that the city has no plans of its own to build facilities with a public utility in the area in the coming years.

So this means a larger co-financing amount needs to be agreed on, according to Karro.

Lippus also said that a larger sum might be agreed on. "Though what exactly that will be and how it will evolve: We have not reached the detailed discussions yet," she said.

Possibly affects three streets

Karro explained that the City of Tallinn has been discussing various potential developments in the area for some time, with those that would add more greenery to the neighborhood being received most favorably.

Several potential locations for this had already been proposed by the Uue Maailma Selts, the local residents' association.

Kristel Abel, a member of the society's board, said: "There are places in the surrounding area which are part-owned by the city, and part-privately owned, where a park could be created."

"For instance, in the zone between Virmalise and Kristiina streets, where the Luha lasteaed kindergarten is situated, where there is currently a parking lot," Abel went on.

"For us, traffic management is vital," Abel said.

"The embassy's representatives have tried to explain to us that they will all be walking or, in the worst case scenario, riding bicycles."

"However it is already clear to see from the 'superministry' that Väike-Ameerika is particularly crammed with parked cars, and negotiating the space and crossing the street there is quite awful," Abel continued.

Is a three-meter-wide green area in front of residential buildings enough?

The question as to who will pay for the renovation of the surrounding street system is but one aspect of the conversation.

The summary of the city planning department's letter contains a request to align the building developer's proposed planning solution with comments the department made in September.

Karro also sent a second letter in September which thoroughly dissected the planning solution submitted in June.

Lippus said the main discussion on the embassy revolves around the landscaping of public space and the embassy's own land space.

"This is important, if only as there are residential buildings adjacent to it. And that the views should be pleasant," the deputy mayor said.

"For instance, the city planning department has pointed out that there are already apartment buildings at the end of Toom-Kuninga, where the former stadium was, and that these should be separated from the embassy by a tree-lined buffer zone," Lippus went on.

The residential and commercial block was erected several years ago, already shrinking the size of the former sports field.

The developer's proposed solution states that the city's request was taken into account, and that a three-meter-wide strip of land was set aside for landscaping purposes.

Part of the plot on the apartment buildings side would under the plans be taken up by ramps leading to the embassy's underground parking area, but the developer has offered their assurances that landscaping would fit between these vehicle ramps also.

According to the Tallinn city planning department, however, this proposed solution is insufficient.

Karro wrote in his letter: "The solution planned for the developed plot will impact the surrounding living environment."

According to the current plan, some of the landscaping intended for the embassy's plot would actually end up being on the "superministry" side, he continued.

An alternative might be vehicle elevators, he added.

"We are continuing to request that car elevators be considered, which would allow for more of the plot's space to be set aside for landscaping," Karro said.

Deputy Mayor Lippus also stressed that the embassy plans could still alter significantly in the course of negotiations, and that the city is not sticking to a precise dimension for any landscaped strip.

"What is important in terms of planning is maintaining the quality of the entire area as a whole," Lippus added.

Can a person fit between the two buildings?

Among other items, the city planning department also highlighted an earlier proposal to create a thoroughfare for light traffic, between the embassy's terrain and the "superministry."

Karro wrote in September: "It is currently not possible to abandon the plan to extend Virmalise tänav, considering the city of Tallinn's intention to build one of the next tram routes along Liivalaia tänav and, in the future, to extend the tram line to Suur-Ameerika tänav."

The planning solution proposed in June however concluded that a pass-way between the two buildings how cannot be planned for, due to the modest size of the plot.

Worldwide, U.S. embassies are usually located on larger areas of land, the planners noted.

Lippus noted that the city planning department had considered the thoroughfare important for improving the connection between the Uus Maailm neighborhood and Tuvi Park, the other side of Suur-Ameerika.

Lippus did acknowledge that the embassy's wishes, too, must be taken into account in discussions.

"Our plans are also becoming more exact," Lippus said, noting that the new public transport stops relating to the Liivalaia tram extension may end up elsewhere than originally thought.

"As to whether the access should go through Virmalise tänav or would it make more sense to place it in front of the ministry; we are constantly clarifying our plans in this regard," Lippus added.

Lippus stressed that many aspects can be up for negotiation, including the architecture tender for the development.

Karro noted in his letter that such a tender is needed to find a site-specific solution.

"We are willing to consider proposals on the format of the tender," he added.

Lippus meanwhile implied that the winning bidder would be from outside Estonia.

"Estonian participants do not need to be included in the competitive process," she said.

"We are not treating this as a traditional architectural competition in the Estonian sense, as the rules that apply to it are different," she added.

"However, what is important is that various options get played out, to find a solution for the specific building in question."

The question of whether the board of selectors of this "non-traditional" architecture tender should include representatives of Tallinn City Government and of the main the architects' union in Estonia has not yet been discussed, according to Lippus.

The Suur-Ameerika site has been earmarked for many years as the location of the U.S. Embassy in Estonia, to replace the current location on Kentmanni.

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