Cost of refurbishment of House of Parliament doubles, schedule longer than originally expected
No final decision on temporary venue for plenary sessions
A planned massive refurbishment of the House of Parliament in Helsinki is expected to take considerably longer than originally predicted, at a considerably higher price than originally estimated.
Currently it is estimated that the main building of Parliament would be under repairs for two to three years. During part of that time - possibly up to a year - plenary sessions would have to be held at a different location.
Earlier in the year it was predicted that the main chamber of Parliament would be out of commission for about six months. Plans were to hold the main sessions in the bomb shelter beneath the main building. Now that plan has been dropped.
The cost estimate of the project has also been revised. In May 2007 the total costs were estimated at EUR 100 million. Now the estimate is between EUR 190-200 million. In addition to that would be the expense of renting temporary facilities during the work.
In the coming autumn, a difficult decision will have to be made on whether or not the work can take place in two or three phases, which would make it possible to take advantage of Parliament’s summer break, or if it would all be done at one go, in which all activities of Parliament would have to relocate temporarily.
Either way, the search is now on for facilities where plenary sessions of Parliament could be held. Parliamentary committees and party Parliamentary groups will also need accommodation.
The strongest candidates for a temporary meeting place are the congress facilities of Finlandia Hall, the new Parliamentary annex building, as well as the auditorium of the Sibelius Academy.
The bomb shelter located beneath the House of Parliament has a provisional chamber for use in times of crisis. However, it has been rejected as an option, because it does not have a public gallery.
The atrium of the new annex building, which now has a cafeteria, is also a strong candidate for a temporary chamber, and provisional plans have been drawn up on how the conversion might take place.
As a popular meeting venue, Finlandia Hall already has the sound systems, as well as the technology needed for the electronic tallying of votes. The problem is its very popularity, as reservations have been made for years ahead; Parliament cannot simply march in and commandeer the building.
The auditorium of the Sibelius Academy is to be available as of May 2011, when the nearby Music Centre is completed.
Since the House of Parliament was built in 1931, plenary sessions have had to be held elsewhere only once - during the Winter War in 1939-1940. At that time, Parliament was moved to a school in Kauhajoki.
During the evacuation, Parliamentary business proceeded quite expeditiously. The state budget for 1940 was passed after just 23 minutes of debate. The recent debate for the budget of 2010 took five days.
Helsingin Sanomat
