Tallinn approves former ministry building for school use
Estonia Tallinn City Council has decided to acquire a former ministry building in the Old Town for the Vanalinna Hariduskolleegium school, ERR reported.
The city will acquire the building at Lai 39/41 from State Real Estate Ltd, known as RKAS, to address the school’s need for additional space. Tallinn will also acquire a plot at Liikuri 66 in Lasnamäe, where it plans to build a public sports field.
The city will not pay RKAS in cash for the two properties. Instead, it will transfer five properties to the state, four of them in Lasnamäe. The fifth is a building at Lai 17 in the Old Town that houses the Museum of Applied Art and Design.
According to the draft decision’s explanatory memorandum, the total value of the properties being acquired and transferred is equal at 6,178,500 euros, and the sale prices will be offset against each other.
The agreed purchase price for the Lai 39/41 building is 5.7 million euros. That is below the market values stated in expert assessments commissioned by the city’s property department and RKAS, which valued the property at 6.4 million euros and 6.9 million euros respectively.
Tallinn City Government approved the acquisition for the school several weeks ago. Deputy Mayor Andrei Kante said the building would support the school’s development and significantly improve its facilities.
“Tallinn’s task is to create conditions in which schools can further develop their strengths and distinct character. VHK has done consistently valuable work in implementing inclusive education, and the building on Lai Street would provide even better facilities for this,” Kante said.
Under the current plan, the VHK music school’s hobby groups will remain in temporary premises. Kante said a long-term solution would be decided later.
The building at Lai 39/41 has approximately 7,750 square metres of net internal floor area. The preliminary space programme includes part of VHK’s basic school, small classes, some extracurricular activities and support functions, and space for approximately 670 students.