Plan to turn Hellenikon project into major development tool will take 25 years

ATHENS – It’s been years in the making and hasn’t started yet but plan for turning Greece’s old international airport at Hellenikon along the city’s coast will come in four stages that will take at least 25 years to finish.

That was revealed in the Integrated Utilization Plan and shows the first-five years will include transfer of the Aghios Cosmas sports facilities to the Elliniko metropolitan park, the renovation of the marina, the transformation of coastal Poseidonos Avenue into an underground highway, the beginning of planting part of the park, the full renovation of the old East Terminal’s building and of the Air Force facilities, and the creation of an aquarium on the seafront, along with multipurpose venue to host various events (sporting, cultural, etc.) at the park’s entrance, Kathimerini said.

The second stage, for years 6-10 (from 2022-2026,) will develop tourism and entertainment projects, such as a five-star hotel with a casino and conference tourism facilities. Two four-star hotels are also being planned, alongside the completion of commercial developments to cover the trade and food service needs of the area’s visitors, including a mall.

There will also be developing of housing, including a skyscraper on ground that was supposed to be the largest urban park and greenspace in Europe before being turned over to developers because of an economic and austerity crisis that has seen governments scrape for every euro they can find because tax cheats are so prominent only half of Greeks pay them.  

The third phase, for years 11-15 (from 2027-2031) is scheduled to take developments to a 69 percent completion rate and includes commercial activities (offices, administration, commercial stores, educational and research centers) as well as creation of medical tourism infrastructures, along with the completion of the metropolitan park. In quantity terms the most important element is the housing development.

The fourth and final stage, mostly housing, will take at least nine years under current plans and may not finish until 2042. There was no report why it would take so long.

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Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons 

Source: thenationalherald.com