The Tallinna Linnahall recreation center, which despite its closure in 2009 has served as a leisure spot for both locals and tourists, has not received enough support from the city government to keep its territory clean from garbage.
The seven employees hired to maintain the building and its surrounding area have to heat and clean the 4.2 hectares of land and an equal size underground territory with a total yearly budget of 440,000 euros.
"That amount of money can maintain the building on a minimum level," said Leo Lõoke, head of administration at the center, adding that if the city had not decided to shut down the Linnahall two years ago, the building would currently be in a much better condition.
Thanks to an urban installation project, Lift11, part of the Tallinn Capital of Culture 2011 program, artists and architects managed to build viewing platforms on the center’s roofs and place sound installations inside the halls of the building.
Nevertheless, many other rooms inside the center are collecting mold while US investors decide whether to start renovating the building. Representatives of the Tallinn City Council have said that the final verdict should be reached in August.
