The necessary boost for implementing the second phase of the connection between the coastal road and Franklin Roosevelt Avenue could be provided by the permit approval for development, for an investor who has purchased land plots in the area, as long as it is facilitated, stated the Mayor of Limassol, Mr. Yiannis Armeftis, to "Entrepreneurial Limassol."
The Mayor, who has had intensive discussions recently with relevant state agencies and the Ministers of the Interior and Transport, Communications, and Works on the issue, mentioned that what remains pending and needs to move forward is the expropriation process. This would allow the Department of Public Works to proceed with drafting the construction plans.
He pointed out that the cost of expropriations in the area has skyrocketed, and the situation with the land plots purchased by a specific investor planning a major development project brings new challenges but also, under certain conditions, opportunities. Mr. Yiannis Armeftis added that he proposed to the Minister of the Interior to expedite the process by considering both the option of immediate expropriation and granting development rights (arising from the land taken for the road) to the investor. This would reduce the expropriation cost for the state.
Regarding a tenant on one of the land plots purchased by the investor, who has not vacated the premises and recently appeared before the Refugees Committee with claims, the Mayor explained that this is now a private dispute that the parties involved will need to resolve.
As is known, the investor who acquired plots near the Limassol Nautical Marina has submitted a preliminary inquiry to the Limassol Municipality for a development plan that includes two high-rise buildings with office facilities, a parking area for 500 vehicles, and a plaza. The Municipal Council, which reviewed the preliminary inquiry before the elections, postponed making a decision on it at that time.
The Mayor of Limassol noted that, as this concerns permits for high-rise buildings, the matter will be managed centrally by the Town Planning Department, to which the preliminary inquiry has been transferred. He highlighted, however, that although the authority for issuing permits has been transferred away from the Limassol Municipality, the opinion of the Local Authority remains significant in such cases.
"In light of the permitting process, the entire procedure can be facilitated and accelerated, given the development pressure on investors, who want to clarify matters as quickly as possible," pointed out Mr. Yiannis Armeftis.
The Mayor reminded that the project, which has been under discussion for 10 years, includes creating Eirinis Square (between the mosque and the church of Agiou Antoniou) and relocating the road further south. "This will also serve as an opportunity for quality redevelopments in public spaces, transforming a previously neglected area," he emphasized. It is worth noting that Phase A of the connection between the coastal road and Franklin Roosevelt Avenue was completed and opened to traffic in 2018.
Sources from the Town Planning Department confirmed that the preliminary inquiry for the proposed development in the area north of Limassol Marina is under consideration by the Department. However, they described the issue of permitting this proposed development as "sensitive" and declined to comment on the progress of the process.
