The Municipality of Limassol is proceeding with the establishment of an Information Centre for the “Cities 2030” Mission at the old GSO, in the place of the elevated café that did not thrive, and is oriented towards creating a large park connecting reference points in the wider area.
The Mayor, Mr. Yiannis Armeftis, stated to “Entrepreneurial Limassol” that the Sports Museum at the multifunctional park in the GSO area is expected to be completed within the next few months – as he himself hopes, by the end of the year – after delays in the execution of the relevant contract.
The Mayor added that the Local Authority is simultaneously in the process of re-examining the future of the site, as – as he emphasised – its current image and condition do not meet expectations and are not satisfactory. He pointed out that there are unused spaces in a project that cost several million euros, such as the changing rooms on the north side, which need a complete renovation.
“As long as you leave an abandoned building, it not only creates a bad image, but it also gets destroyed and a public asset remains unutilised,” said Mr. Yiannis Armeftis characteristically.
Regarding the operation of the Information Centre at the GSO, within the framework of the European Initiative to achieve climate neutrality in 100 European cities by 2030 – in which Limassol is also participating – the Mayor said that the construction plans are at the final stage. “It is very important for the Information Centre to be placed in a prominent location, so that it is accessible to the public, informing them about the benefits, consequences, as well as the possibilities for cooperation within the framework of the Initiative,” he noted, adding that in this way the Municipality’s emphasis on the initiative is demonstrated. As he said, the project can move forward quickly, it is already budgeted, and the intention is to start with a new construction contract as soon as possible.
Another project that the Municipality wishes to complete at the GSO site is the arrangement of the parking area on the north side, which has passed into the ownership of the Local Authority, based on the Phytidou bequest. “The parking area has been operating in a field for many years and we want to upgrade it,” the Mayor said characteristically. By decision of the Municipal Council, a master plan will be prepared for connecting the reference points in the wider area, starting from Enaerios (east), the Court area (north), the Archaeological Museum and the Municipal Garden, ending at the GSO (west) and the Phytidou heritage which is connected to Agiou Andreou Street.
“We want to mature the project so that an architectural competition can be announced for the preparation of the master plan and to examine how the unification of the Municipal Garden with the other public spaces, east and west, into one large park can be achieved,” he stated.
The Mayor pointed out that various projects are also underway in the area, such as the expansion of the Archaeological Museum into the Municipal Garden, as well as the recent development concerning the declaration of the former “Psaras” kiosk (a work of architect Polydorides) as a listed building. The kiosk is considered an excellent example of modernist architecture. “That is why we are in consultation, following a decision of the Municipal Council, to find ways to utilise the building and make it available to the public,” the Mayor added.
During the preparation of the master plan, the possibility of creating a Park & Ride system at Enaerios will also be examined. Mr. Yiannis Armeftis noted that he would not like to get ahead of things, as he is waiting to hear ideas for the future plans for the area, which today operates as a parking lot. Ideas being considered include the creation of more green spaces.
He indicated that this effort will be supported by the expertise of the three universities with which the Municipality has contracted: the University of Cyprus, the Cyprus University of Technology (TEPAK) and Frederick University, with the aim of maturing projects in the fields of urban planning, spatial planning and the built environment. The Mayor estimates that the contribution of the universities is decisive, given that they possess the necessary scientific knowledge and experience for well-founded guidance.
Finally, he stated that plans have already been prepared for one-way streets in the area, extending to Olympion Street and the Municipal Garden, from the eastern side of Anexartisias and south of Gladstonos. With these interventions, he said, it is expected that traffic congestion problems will be resolved on streets such as Karaïskaki, Venizelou and Agiou Andreou, which currently operate with two-way traffic, causing traffic chaos at narrow points. Approval for the traffic regulations has already been given by the Central Body for Traffic Issues.
