It might have taken some five years of stalemate, but there are now indications of steps forward regarding the regeneration of the area spanning between Limassol’s old harbour and the new port, rekindling investors’ interest for a development comparable to that of Canary Wharf in London and Barcelona’s business center. Speaking to ‘’Entrepreneurial Limassol’’, Mayor Nicos Nicolaides expressed confidence that by the end of the year the Town Planning Council will take the relevant decisions, which will be submitted to the Council of Ministers, for the final approval of the proposals submitted by the Limassol Municipality.
The reason for the delay in publishing the plan, which has been before Town Planning Council since July 2015, was, according to the Mayor, the not-so-precise views expressed by Limassol Municipality in the past with regard to the philosophy that should govern the area's design. The issue was brought again lately before the Municipal Council, which reviewed its suggestions, re-formulating them on a more structured basis. A 2014 study by the Polygyia Armos consultants under the title "A renewed coastal metropolis Urban Opportunities", for the Limassol Municipality, has proposed town-planning incentives for the creation of green spaces and the cyltural heritage-oriengted re-use of industrial buildings, by increasing building coefficients, as well as incentives to relocate industries to new industrial areas around Limassol.
Proposals can be summarized as follows: Determining uses that allow commercial development along Franklin Roosevelt Avenue, limited commercial developments along the Aktea Street and residential and office developments subject to conditions. Aktea Odos is proposed with geometric features providing for a two-lane road on a level with pavements, bicycle paths, new tree planting and the use of environmentally friendly materials. There is also a suggestion for provisions to prevent excessive concentration on recreational uses in an effort to reduce noise levels and traffic congestion in the area.
