Entrepreneur Urmas Sõõrumaa, who redeveloped Tallinn's Rotermann Quarter and is currently working on the development of the area between Patarei Sea Fortress, Rotermann and the port, has been interested in the Linnahall in the past and said he could still be interested now if a decision regarding Linnahall is made.

"I already have quite a lot going on in the area between the port and Rotermann, but if something attractive comes up, I will certainly take a look," Sõõrumaa said.

However, the entrepreneur does not consider renovating Linnahall in its current form to be reasonable.

"Fixing up that massive concrete structure would cost at least €150 million to €200 million according to various estimates, while you still wouldn't end up with what you actually want," Sõõrumaa explained.

Linnahall's immediate vicinity borders seafront property owned by Port of Tallinn. According to the port's CEO, Valdo Kalm, their primary interest is in seeing the area put in order, but they do not wish to undertake the development themselves.

"The topic of Linnahall has been discussed with us: at different times, the city government has offered us both areas around Linnahall as well as the renovation of the building itself, but we have declined because our own available land for real estate development is right here next door. These are fairly large volumes — 16 to 17 hectares," Kalm said.

At present, the large-scale building is simply deteriorating and there may not be much time left to weigh different options.

According to Risto Vähi, an expert at Uus Maa real estate bureau, time is running out for Linnahall as the complex has not been properly addressed for decades.

"In light of Wednesday's news, I would recommend that all parties come together and take up the matter in a way where this is the last moment to make a decision and where everyone will have to make some kind of compromise," Vähi said.

As a compromise, Vähi suggests partially preserving the building.

Tallinn mayor Peeter Raudsepp said Wednesday that Linnahall should be demolished to make room for new Estonian architecture, as well as because renovating the massive structure is simply not feasible.

The statement merited a prompt reply by heritage conservationists who maintain that a national monument cannot simply be written off and destroyed and that Linnahall is worth preserving at least partially as one of Estonia's most important masterpieces of modernist architecture.

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