Espoo City Board approves demolition of City Hall

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The Espoo City Board voted at its meeting on Monday in favour of demolishing the present City Hall.
      The proposal approved by the City Board in a 9-5 vote (1 abstention) will be forwarded to the City Council.
      While the present City Hall is to be pulled down, the Council Chamber in the adjacent building is to be expanded by building new meeting premises and other necessary space for the use of the City Board.
     
The expanded building will be renamed City Hall. In addition, the historical building on the Kannunsillanmäki hill, now housing the Swedish music institute Kungsvägen, will be renovated to serve as workspace for the Mayor and the leading Espoo civil servants.
     
At the City Board meeting, the representatives of the National Coalition Party, the Green League, and the Centre Party were all in favour of the demolition of the City Hall.
      However, the representatives of the True Finns and the Swedish People’s Party voted against the proposal.
      One of the two SDP representatives voted against, while the other cast an empty ballot.
     
After the meeting, the Chair of the City Board Saija Äikäs-Idänpään-Heikkilä (National Coalition Party) estimated that a majority decision will also be made in favour of the proposed demolition at the upcoming City Council meeting.
      ”However, one cannot be absolutely sure about it in advance”, she said.
     
The dispute over the fate of the City Hall has continued to divide the political parties for many years.
      It would also be fair to say that many of the local residents will not miss the building much if and when it goes.
      Not only is it somewhat overbearingly dark and ugly, but it has also been beset with problems - including damp and mould damage - almost ever since it was completed in 1971.
      The Espoo City Council is to handle the demolition of the City Hall at its meeting on April 19th. Decisions on the plans concerning the expansion of the Council Chamber and the alterations to be performed in the old building on Kannunsillanmäki will be made later.


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