A broad meeting held on Wednesday at the Presidential Palace between the Limassol Municipality and relevant Ministers and government departments aimed to coordinate and secure wide government support for accelerating important strategic and development projects in Limassol.
According to a statement by the Limassol Municipality, participants included Deputy Presidential Commissioner Eirini Piki, Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou, Minister of Transport, Communications and Works Alexis Vafeadis, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Maria Panagiotou, Director of the Town Planning and Housing Department Kyriakos Koundouros, senior officials from the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth and other involved ministries and state services, as well as Limassol Municipality officials.
During the meeting, which was convened at the request of the Limassol Municipality, Mayor Giannis Armeftis underlined the need for “close and productive cooperation with the Government, to accelerate strategic projects that will enhance development, sustainable mobility, environmental resilience, the regeneration of the city centre and the promotion of affordable housing in Limassol.”
Armeftis, it is added, presented the municipality’s key strategic priorities, placing particular emphasis on advancing the Aktaiou Road and on preparing an integrated plan for the redevelopment of the coastal zone between the old and new ports of the city.
In this context, the statement continues, the next steps were discussed for relocating businesses operating in the Karnagi area, with the aim of environmentally, aesthetically and functionally upgrading the area, improving the connection between the city centre and the new port, and creating a new, unified seafront.
The projects
Special reference was made to strategic infrastructure projects and the need to speed up procedures for launching tenders for Evagoras Lanitis Road, including the necessary flood protection works, the integration of Franklin Roosevelt Avenue with the coastal road, the creation of Peace Square, and the advancement of the second and third phases of the redevelopment of Agia Fylaxeos Street.
Municipality representatives, it is noted, stressed that the necessary procedures for all three projects should proceed as soon as possible, so that their tendering can be scheduled within 2026 or at the latest during 2027.
Additionally, the Mayor of Limassol underlined that addressing the traffic problem is a primary responsibility of the Government, which also requires close cooperation, joint planning and substantial support from Local Authorities. He also stressed the need for immediate coordination of all involved ministries and services to advance the necessary infrastructure and projects.
Master plan
During the meeting, the municipality’s proposal was also presented for the preparation of an integrated Master Plan for the wider area of the old Hospital, the central police station, the post office, neighbouring state plots and the water tower. The proposal, the statement adds, aims to revitalise the centre of Limassol through the rational use of state property and the creation of modern infrastructure.
At the same time, the need for substantial national support for Limassol was underlined, as the city participates in the EU Cities Mission for 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030, with the Limassol Municipality requesting full utilisation of this status to support national and local goals for climate neutrality, sustainable mobility, energy transition and the city’s environmental resilience.
Housing
The meeting also presented the Limassol Municipality’s proposals for tackling the housing problem through the use of modern urban planning tools. Among other things, the possibility of transferring development rights between municipal plots was discussed, with the aim of creating a model affordable housing project and making optimal use of municipal real estate.
Following the presentation, it is added, a constructive discussion took place, during which the relevant ministries and state services responded to the municipality’s requests and proposals, and it was agreed to continue coordination between the Limassol Municipality and the Deputy Presidential Commissioner and the relevant ministries.
Finally, it is emphasised that the municipality now awaits the definition of specific actions and implementation timelines for the issues discussed.