A new Yle survey finds that support for the planned Helsinki Guggenheim art museum has dropped among city councillors. In January, only 14 councillors opposed the planned museum project. Now 31 city councillors oppose it, which brings the total to one third of city councillors against the plan. The Helsinki City Council has 85 permanent members.
The controversial building is estimated to cost between 130-140 million euros.
The City of Helsinki is currently undergoing a new round of negotiations with the Guggenheim Foundation.
According to Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, the City of Helsinki is hoping that a new proposal about the museum will be presented this fall, as the Guggenheim Foundation has reportedly eased their terms on the project.
In January, almost half of city councillors were ready to reconsider their stance on the Guggenheim depending on how the museum would be funded. At the time, a third demanded that the museum could be only be built if it was privately funded. Few expressed satisfaction with the multi-funding model proposal that would bring funds from different sources ranging from the private sector to the public sector including the City of Helsinki, the state and other cities.