The board of Helsinki city council has delayed a decision on granting a plot of land for a new Guggenheim museum in the city. The decision was expected, and a vote on the reservation of a plot of land will now take place next week.
According to Yle’s sources, the delay is to allow time for the SDP group to lay out its conditions for supporting the proposal.
The Guggenheim Foundation’s long, drawn-out campaign to bring their museum franchise to Finland has faced numerous obstacles and setbacks. After their original plan was rejected by the city council, they returned with an updated proposal involving less public funding for the project.
That involved reserving the prime real estate on the waterfront in Helsinki’s south harbour that would be home to the new museum, while the foundation organises an architectural competition. That proposal is likely to be accepted by the city council, but some political groups on the council have set conditions on their support.
The Greens are supportive of the Guggenheim proposal, so long as several conditions are met. One of those is the cancellation of improvements to Ring 1, the Helsinki ring road—that is rejected by the National Coalition Group on the council, which is generally supportive of the Guggenheim proposal.
The Social democrats have described their own views as ‘cautious’ on Guggenheim, and are now set to prepare a list of demands that must be met if they are to support the project.