Picture
Jumping class at the sports hall.
The sports hall needs either a major renovation or a new building.

The sports hall is being planned in Ukonniemi for eco and euro reasons

Release
21.11.2020 20:28
Sports facilities are an expense item for municipalities, but important for well-being. The law does not oblige you to maintain any specific type of sports facility.

Imatra is surveying whether a wooden sports hall could be placed next to the ice rink in Ukonniemi.
It would replace the current sports hall, which has had air quality problems and other health-related challenges. The sports hall also does not meet the current sports needs. The pending planning does not concern the swimming hall.
The city council unanimously approved the planning in September. In October, the Ministry of the Environment granted planning support for 70 percent of the costs, or a maximum of 44 euros.
Now we will find out how different wooden frame solutions could affect carbon emissions and whether the ice rink's waste heat could be used to heat the sports hall.

It's also about euros

Sports facilities are not financially profitable for the municipality. User fees are only partially sufficient to cover expenses. Most of the expenses are offset from tax funds. Sports facilities are not directly required by law either, but they are important for the well-being of the townspeople.
The maintenance of the Urheilutalo swimming hall costs 1,5 million euros every year. Annual income from the operation of these facilities is 355 euros, or 800 percent of expenses. When in the future Imatrank's tax revenues will decrease according to the forecasts, it will be more difficult to cover the maintenance costs.
If the sports hall were located in Ukonniemi, it is realistic to expect that Sports Tourism will increase. It increases the income received from visitors to both the sports hall and the ice rink.
- In this case, the beneficiaries are the people of Imatra, because the sports hall's services can be secured and they can even be developed, the mayor Kai Roslakka says.
- The teams coming to the camp need comprehensive services, which can be better provided when the accommodation, sports hall, ice rink and Ukonniemi stadium are next to each other. Teams don't prefer places where accommodation and training sites are around the city, Imatra Base Campin, which sells camps Jaakko Jäppinen says.
The proximity of the sports hall would also support the ice rink, because the same problem with covering expenses exists there as well. The annual income of the ice rink is about 20 percent of expenses.

An increase in tourism income for the benefit of the people of Imatra

The development of Ukonniemi started in Imatra in the last decade.
Private and public investments in the region total around 50 million euros. The city's biggest projects have been the ice rink in 2011 and the Ukonniemi stadium in 2015. It has been possible to cover the investments with the sales profits of the areas sold to YIT and other investors.
According to Taloustutkimus Oy, last year the region lost 7,8 million euros from sports and camping tourism. The increase brought by Ukonniemi's exercise and sports tourism was almost 30 overnight stays.
Imatra could split even a bigger profit. For example, Sotkamo, with its 10 inhabitants, generates around 330 million euros in direct tourism income per year thanks to the Vuokatti sports center.
There are six kilometers between the center of Sotkamo and Vuokatti. In Sotkamo, this distance has almost closed over the decades, thanks to Vuokatti's vivacity.
Imatra is now investigating the future of the sports hall. The decision is finally made by the council based on the collected information, plans and other preparations.

 

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Sports departmentincome and expenditure of the periods

  • Sports hall and swimming hall: income €355, expenses €800 million €, revenue share of expenses 1,5%
  • Ice rink: income €235, expenses €000 million, the share of income in expenses 1,2%
  • First snow slope: income €60, expenses €000, share of income in expenses 137%

 

* Note! All income includes customer fees and rental income.

All expenses include real estate costs, personnel costs, purchasing services and expert services.