EKO Cyprus is proceeding with the development of the plots where its refineries were previously located in the Municipality of Larnaca, preparing and submitting a General Spatial Planning Study (master plan) and an Environmental Impact Assessment Study (EIA) to the Department of Environment.
According to the Study, which the Department has released for public consultation, the proposed project concerns the construction and operation of a mixed development of mutually supportive uses.
The proposed project will consist of five developments, namely:
- Hotel
- Conference centre (MICE)
- Residential
- Retail
- Offices
The proposed project will provide green space for public use (public green) and space for community equipment (Communal Facilities, Com. Fac.).
Proposed Master Plan.
The design
In the Study, EKO Cyprus provides a detailed description of the developments it is promoting. Specifically:
- Hotel unit
The hotel unit will meet tourist accommodation standards and will
consists of the following main areas:
- 150 beds,
- Reception area,
- Restaurant,
- Outdoor swimming pool and
- Aboveground and underground parking spaces
The hotel building will consist of seven levels, six above ground and one basement, and the total area of the building will be 10,155 m2. The height of the building will be approximately 24 meters.
The hotel unit and the conference centre will have shared outdoor parking spaces.
On the ground floor, the outdoor area of the hotel unit will feature a swimming pool and private green areas.
The hotel unit and the conference centre will also have a shared underground level, which will house the parking spaces and a room (service yard) in which there will be infrastructure for the storage of waste. There will be 186 parking spaces and 4 for people with disabilities.
Proposed Master Plan.
- Conference centre (MICE)
The conference centre (MICE) will consist of an above-ground and an underground level.
The conference centre building will have a total area of 1,200 m2.
As mentioned above, the conference centre and the hotel unit will have shared parking spaces on the ground floor and basement level.
On the ground floor, there will be a total of 51 parking spaces and nine for people with disabilities, and on the underground level there will be 186 parking spaces and four for people with disabilities.
- Residential development
The residential development will consist of 313 luxury apartments and will be able to accommodate approximately 550 people.
The residential development building will consist of 15 above-ground levels and will have a total height of 60 meters, while the total area of the building will be 31,300 m2.
Also, the building will have an underground level in which 325 parking spaces and 22 for people with disabilities will be located to meet the needs of the development's residents.
- Commercial development
The operational processes and activities that will be carried out during the operational phase of the proposed commercial development are the following:
- Operation of commercial premises
- Operation of catering establishments, restaurants and cafés
- Customer service
- Operation of supporting infrastructure and equipment
- Cleaning of common areas
- Equipment maintenance
- Maintenance of gardens and green spaces
The commercial development building will have a total area of 9,500 m2.
The proposed design of the commercial development provides for the construction of an opening in the roof of the building.
There will also be outdoor parking spaces to meet the needs of visitors to the commercial development and the total number of parking spaces will be 104 and 12 for people with disabilities
Furthermore, in the external area of the development, there will be private green spaces.
It is worth mentioning that the commercial development building consists of two above-ground levels and one underground level, while the height of the building will be eight meters above sea level.
It is emphasised that the commercial and office development of the proposed project will have a shared underground level.
- Office development
The operational processes and activities that will be carried out during the operational phase of the proposed office development are the following:
- Operation of single office spaces
- Operation of a shared dining area, restaurant and kitchen
- Operation of supporting infrastructure and equipment
- Cleaning of common areas
- Equipment maintenance
- Maintenance of gardens and green spaces
The office development building has a total area of 10,300 m2 and will consist of 12 levels with a total height of 56 meters. It will also consist of a basement level, while the first level of the building will be on the roof of the commercial development building.
The total number of parking spaces will be 225 and 12 for people with disabilities.
The site of the former EKO refineries.
Parking spaces
Furthermore, based on the design, the proposed developments will provide parking spaces to meet the needs of permanent residents, employees and their visitors. The hotel unit and the conference centre will have shared parking spaces.
Also, the commercial and office development will have shared parking spaces.
In total, the proposed project will have 891 parking spaces and 63 for people with disabilities.
The schedule
However, according to EKO's planning, the construction phase of the five developments included in the general spatial planning study is not expected to be carried out simultaneously.
As stated in the Study, the implementation of the individual developments requires the securing of planning and building permits, procedures that are not expected to run simultaneously.
Additionally, precisely because the proposed project concerns a general spatial planning study, which implies that the proposed developments are at a preliminary planning stage, the data and information available to the study team in relation to the construction works are limited.
In summary, however, the individual main works and activities expected to be carried out during the construction phase of the developments included in the general spatial planning study are the following:
- Preliminary work and site preparation work,
- Earthmoving and excavation work,
- Drainage works,
- Foundation works and construction of retaining walls,
- Installation of formwork and reinforcement,
- Placement of ready-mixed concrete,
- Construction work inside buildings,
- Construction work outside buildings,
- Construction of facilities, underground and aboveground networks and infrastructure,
- Installation of electromechanical equipment,
- Design of outdoor spaces and green areas.
Personnel needs
Regarding the personnel needs for the operation of the developments, it is estimated that this will exceed 2,500 people.
Objectives and feasibility of the project
Based on the Study, the purpose of implementing the proposed project is to create a mixed development of mutually supportive uses that will form an integral part of the urban development of the area of the former refineries in the Municipality of Larnaca.
As further specifically stated in the Study, the construction and operation of the proposed project is expected to bring, among others, the following socio-economic and development benefits to the local community:
- Upgrading and enriching the uses of the area for the benefit of both permanent residents and visitors, through the creation of hospitality, recreation, as well as professional spaces,
- Contribution to the development of the region through the creation of multiple jobs,
- The implementation of the proposed project will encourage the development of other urban projects in the area,
- physical and functional upgrading of the area,
- The building developments of the proposed spatial plan will contribute to the aesthetic upgrade of the area,
- The proposed hotel unit is expected to contribute to the development of the tourism sector both locally and nationally, as it will be a magnet for visitors,
- The proposed conference centre is expected to attract professionals for the organisation and holding of conferences and events,
- The proposed residential development is expected to contribute to the development of the local community as it will offer luxury apartments for the housing of locals and/or visitors to the area,
- The proposed commercial development will be an economic attraction and will attract visitors to the area,
- The proposed office development is expected to host companies that will benefit from the services offered by the area,
- The green spaces that will be available to the public according to the general spatial planning study will offer a place for relaxation and exercise, upgrading the quality of life and improving the physical and mental health of the local community,
- The proposed general spatial planning study will contribute to the fulfillment of the objectives set in the Former Refineries Area Plan in the Urban Area of the Municipalities of Larnaca and Livadia.
It is noted that one of the objectives of the Plan is the creation of high-quality open urban spaces and their balanced distribution in the area, in any case intertwined with residential use.
Environmental benefits
Therefore, the implementation of the developments proposed within the framework of the general spatial planning study under consideration is expected to have environmental benefits in the area as follows:
- Environmental upgrading of the area, taking into account that extensive remediation and decontamination works of the soil and groundwater will be carried out within the framework of the project implementation. These environmental receptors have suffered significant degradation due to the many years of operation of both the refinery and the fuel storage and distribution terminals in the area.
- Upgrading the coastal front of the area, which on the one hand has suffered significant erosion, and on the other hand was isolated from the rest of the urban complex of Larnaca.
- Addressing the impacts of climate change, which causes, among other things, sea level rise.
- Creation of organised green spaces, open public spaces for social gathering and recreation.
- Creating a sustainable urban development, which will combine the proper management of the natural environment and natural resources alongside the economic upgrading of the area.
- Upgrading the quality of life of residents in the area.
- Elimination of existing risks arising from the operation of liquid fuel storage and handling terminals.
- The implementation of the proposed developments will be carried out in accordance with the conditions set out in the Opinion issued by the Department of Environment following the evaluation of the Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) for the area of petroleum and LPG storage facilities in the Livadia area of Larnaca district,
- The developments foreseen by the general spatial planning study will cover their energy needs from Renewable Energy Sources (RES) by at least 25%.
(Source: InBusinessNews)
