Tartu plans larger addition for Miina Härma High School to replace collapsed section
Tartu decided to build a new addition more than twice the size of the collapsed section at Miina Härma High School. The plan will cost the city an extra €2.7 million, which officials said will not come at the expense of other school reconstruction projects. Taking out a loan is not off the table.
The school began renovating its technical systems at the start of summer, during which part of a building constructed in 1960 collapsed. Although the city initially considered rebuilding the section to its previous size, officials have now opted for a larger project.
Tartu Deputy Mayor Martin Bek said that after weighing all the pros and cons, the city found it reasonable to move forward with constructing a new building. "We are demolishing the entire 650 square meters of space and replacing it with a new three‑story building with a basement, totaling 1,450 square meters," he said.
School Director Ene Tannberg said the addition will solve several bottlenecks. "We will be able to run all classes in a single shift," she said.
Tannberg added that first and second grade students currently study in a second shift. "This plan will allow us to expand the cafeteria, which is a bottleneck in the main building, and we will get a more modern learning environment," she said.
The addition is expected to cost €4.2 million, but Bek said the city's extra expense will be €2.7 million.
"It is smaller for the reason that some of the work already contracted was not carried out, and we can use that financial buffer for the new building," he said. "We will reclaim value‑added tax from the full construction and hope that part will also be covered by insurance," Bek said.
He said the money will not come at the expense of other school reconstruction projects. "We have found full coverage for it," Bek said. No cuts have been made elsewhere. "We are looking at the four‑year budget strategy, and we were able to fit this essential work into it," he said.
It is not yet clear whether something else will be left undone as a result. "Our borrowing capacity grows year by year, and that option exists to keep the overall budget balanced," Bek added.
Because of the technical systems renovation, the school will operate in temporary facilities until the start of the next academic year. Tannberg said some students will have to remain in temporary facilities until next Christmas because of the addition. The city council will discuss the plan in October, after which a new procurement will be announced.
--
Editor: Merilin Leetna, Argo Ideon
