In October in Limassol
will take place
public hearings on two major projects that have been causing lively debate in the city for months. We are talking about the construction of two shopping centers: Mall
of
Limassol
and Limassol
Mall
. Both projects are planned to be built
at the intersection of Spyrou Kyprianou and Agia avenues
Athanasiou, 300 meters apart.
The hearing was appointed by a special council under the Ministry of Internal Affairs (SYMEPA), which deals with projects that deviate from generally accepted construction standards in Cyprus. They will take place on October 10 and 24. Council members will listen to arguments from all sides: from investors and municipal authorities to residents and local businesses.
As the authorities assured, these hearings are not just a formality. Their results will directly affect the implementation of projects. After considering all applications and opinions, the council will present its recommendations to the cabinet, which will make the final decision.
OCTOBER 10—
MALL
OF
LIMASSOL
The first hearing - on the Mall of Limassol project, which is behind the Atterbury Europe group of companies - will be held on October 10
at the Mikis Theodorakis Cultural Center in Mesa Gitonje
.
Shopping center with an area of 27,025 sq. m is planned to be built on the territory of the Limassol municipality. It will be able to accommodate more than 50 shops, a supermarket, a cinema, a children's playground, a public garden, a food court with restaurants and cafes, and 1,057 parking spaces. Investments in the project will amount to about 80 million euros.
24
OCTOBER – LIMASSOL MALL
The second hearing - on the Limassol Mall project of CAC Papantoniou Ltd - will take place on October 24
V
hotel
Parklane Resort & Spa
.
Another shopping and entertainment center with an area of more than 30,000 sq. m they want to build on the territory of the municipality of Agios Athanasios. Its owners will be able to rent out 28,434 sq. m. m of commercial space. On the territory of the mall it is planned to create 90 shops, six kiosks, two restaurants, two cafes, a food court with seven catering establishments, the capacity of which will be 300 seats inside and 200 seats outdoors, a cinema with five showrooms and an area for electronic games. The investor is ready to invest 95 million euros in the project.
PERMISSIONS AND RELATIONSHIP TO PROJECTS
Both projects are considered investments with high economic potential. New shopping centers will be able to create hundreds of jobs and attract additional flows of customers not only from Limassol, but also from neighboring regions.
Department of Environmental Protection
has already given preliminary consent to the construction of two malls, but with a number of conditions. One of them is to create
four roundabouts
to prevent traffic jams on adjacent roads. One interchange should be built for the Mall of Limassol, three for the Limassol Mall.
Municipalities of Limassol and Amathunda
have already expressed disagreement with the issuance of town planning permits for two shopping and entertainment centers at once. The main concern is the increase in traffic load.
Amathunda Mayor Kyriakos Xydias said the construction of two nearby malls would cause traffic congestion. To normalize the situation, it will be necessary to create a separate exit on the highway and reconstruct Agiou Athanasiou Avenue, as well as Kolonakiou and Griva Digeni streets. Otherwise, he said, the approval would be “criminal.”
Many
local entrepreneurs
also express concerns about the proposed projects. In their opinion, new shopping centers can lead to a decrease in sales in small stores, especially in central areas of the city.
