Pärnu College, University of Tartu has a definitive plan to expand the existing building, using the architectural plans created during a competition in 1997. The construction of the currently non-existant half-circle will help complete the existing amphitheater by creating an imitative interior courtyard.
The first floor of the renovation will be open to the public. In addition, the building will house a restaurant with conference capabilities, a teaching kitchen and wine class for tourism and hotel management students, and a biology wet lab for the Marine Institute and Water Ecosystem Department. These locations are meant for those associated with the school.
The second floor will house work rooms for the Water Ecosystem Department and the Pärnu department of the Marine Institute, a computer room for the IT Department, and a block of rooms for local county development organizations - the Association of Local Authorities of Pärnu County, Pärnu County Sports Association, Kodukant Movement, Enterprise and Development Center, Pärnu Retail-Industry Agency - as well as any departments tied to these organizations at the college.
The third floor will be designated as a conference room, including state-of-the-art technology in 300-seat and 100-seat auditoriums. The remainder of the rooms are for the Hotel and Tourism Department (who are tied to conference organization) and the Development Department (project managers). Portable divider walls are also available in the conferece rooms in order to make small rooms and carry out groupwork.
The fourth floor is meant primarily for technical rooms; however, there is also a lounge-discussion room with a view of the river and sea. The second and third floors also have seminar rooms. Construction will end in the fall of 2008, and depending on the needs of the local area, the option to renovate at a later date will be available. 50 extra parking spots, as well as a spot for busses to turn around in, will be added later (with the hope of getting public transport to the site). This is due to the number of employees, which will soon double, as well as the supplementary schooling and conferences taking place.
In order for Pärnu to become competitive as a location for education, the college, along with the Career Education Center, is planning to open a student dormitory beside the downtown bus station. The house will have laudry, ironing, food, study, and fitness facilities, as well as a location to keep bicycles. For every two double rooms there will be a communal kitchen and bathroom. All the rooms will also be equipped with wiring for the internet. As Pärnu is a major tourist attraction in the summer, the rooming house will operate as a hostel, which will bring in some revenue and in turn lower the prices for students during the school year. Hopefully the city of Pärnu will be a part of the project, as in addition to occupational study the county high schools will also be able to use the facilities as well.