Tampere splits Särkänniemi project after funding reversal

Tampere will continue developing Särkänniemi, a company owned by the city, by dividing its large-scale development project into separate parts, Yle reported on Tuesday.

The city changed its plans after the Hämeenlinna Administrative Court overturned a decision to grant Särkänniemi an investment of nearly 26 million euros in June.

“The steering group still considers the projects important, and they will be taken forward,” said Johanna Kirjavainen, deputy mayor of Tampere and chair of the steering group.

The group met on Tuesday to discuss the matter. It was established in autumn 2025 to develop the Särkänniemi area, where plans include a hotel, spa, cable car, water park and multipurpose arena.

The steering group has not yet decided which part of the project will be advanced first. Kirjavainen said the plans would be refined together with the amusement park company during the autumn.

The administrative court had already prohibited implementation of the investment in an interim decision issued in March 2025. It found that Tampere had not sufficiently assessed whether the investment complied with European Union state aid rules and said it might constitute prohibited state aid.

The city did not seek permission to appeal the administrative court’s decision to the Supreme Administrative Court.