DEVELOPMENT WORKS

Town planning

The City Centre Plan, which works out the development of the wider Castle area, has been completed after painful meetings held constantly in which apart from the Mayor of Limassol and the Town Planning Representatives, experts from scientific and professional groups also participated.

The Development Committee considering the provisions of the Town Local Plan, the objectives of the Five-year Development Plan of the Municipality and the suggestions of the foreign experts regarding the traffic issues raised, stepped forward to planning and implementing the under-mentioned projects.

The water tower reveals historical evidence for the town of Limassol but also for Cyprus since it is one of the few monuments of mechanics in Cyprus. It was built by the English contractors Williamson and Pegelay and the sub-contractor I.Tsiros in the ‘30s under Mr. Christodoulos Hadjipavlu’s term as Mayor of Limassol and the total cost amounted to £9.000.

The water tower ensured the water supply of Limassol, which was by then provided by the Havouza reservoir. Its height and capacity enabled it to supply the whole town with water until 1947 when the underground water supply system was set up. From 1947 this water tank with such a historical value was abandoned to wear down through time without any maintenance.

The Mayor and the municipal council of Limassol decided to restore the water tower in an effort to upgrade its historical value. Technical experts in the matter contributed disinterestedly to achieving this goal.

A feasibility study has initially been made to identify the resistance of the water tower. Once its safety has been ascertained a call for tenders has been launched.

A deadline, which has fully been respected, was drawn upon accepting a tender and the water tower has therefore been restored and illuminated. A political decision has also been taken with regard to the surrounding area, which has been alienated and is in course of implementation aiming at ensuring the development of the surrounding area at a later stage.

The cost of the whole project amounted to almost £80.000; the Bank of Cyprus offered £60.000 within the framework of its cultural policy.

On the 18th of December 1999 a gala event took place on the occasion of the water tower being illuminated during which thousands of our citizens were present, which was fully successful.

Heron Square

The most important development project of the Limassol Municipality over the last years is considered to be the restoration of the Heron Square, located in “Kkesogludkia” zone of the town, as it was known in the past. The Heron Square was initially designed in 1910 while the construction works for the “Heroes’ Monument”, which decorates its centre, and the four kiosks of the square were terminated in 1947 by the architect Char.Dikeos, under the term of the Municipal Council of the Mayor Ploutis Servas. The cost of the project amounted to £4.000, which was mainly collected by various loans granted.

The Heroes’ Monument has since then been the jewel of Limassol. Apart from the monument, some entertainment places have been constructed in the area to offer relaxing and cultural climate (the Rialto Theatre is located in the zone). Besides, the square is illuminated by notable Venetian street lamps, which are rare to be found in Cyprus.

As it is known the Heron Square and its environs have over the last years been downgraded for a number of reasons. This is why development and restoration works, which lasted four months and terminated in April 1999, have been the result of the decision taken by the Municipal Council on the basis of the Five-year Development Plan of the Municipality.

The projects accomplished are epigrammatically the following:

• Change of the flagstone paving,

• Cleaning of the monument using the water jetting method and maintenance of the stone structure of the Heroes’ Column

• Monument’s lighting

• Planting traditional trees in the area (e.g. mastic tree and levanter) in co-operation with the Forest Department and the Environmental Teams)

• Borehole drilling to facilitate the irrigation of the greenery

• Reconstruction of the underground toilets store room beneath the monument. Besides, the area is likely to be used for cultural events after it has been adequately configured.

• Link with the drainage system

• Furnishing with chairs, parasols and small tables the surrounding area in compliance with the standards set up by the Municipality for uniformity and homogeneity purposes in co-operation with the owners of the small properties around.

• Maintenance and upgrading of the kiosks

• Transfromation of the adjacent Vasileiou Makedonos and Elenis Palaiologinas streets into pedestrian roads from Andrea Drousioti to Pavlou Mela streets.

• Working out of plans in co-operation with the Town Planning Department and subsidized by the State to create a small square and a green zone in the neighbouring area.

• Amplification of the street lighting of the area

The Limassol Municipality Franklin Roosevelt commercial centre

The commercial centre of the Limassol Municipality at the crossroads of the Franklin Roosevelt and the Republic Avenue is one of the biggest projects of the Municipality. This building complex is located in an advantageous zone in close proximity at the Limassol port, which is the biggest one in Cyprus, and has an easy access to the city centre. The complex has been designed with a view to shelter private companies and governmental organizations and generates a new commercial activity core.

The works for the implementation of this project started in September 1996 and are going through their final stage the expected delivery date to the Municipality is likely to be April 2000.

It is a complex, which has five independent luxurious buildings with shops (most of them being from side to side and provisions have been made to create a space between two of them or more to form a united room), offices (with unlimited possibilities for high technology applications and changes to be brought about with respect of the internal partition), a restaurant, a couple of projection / cinema rooms, an underground parking place and other auxiliary rooms. Besides, a square (with an open exhibition and other events room), an artistic scenery layout, and gallery systems above which there are shops and the restaurant itself are situated in the outside public zone.

The strict construction and technology quality and safety standards have been the main term / asset of the complex design. Particular attention has been drawn on applying methods for energy saving and creating comfortable, useful and operational places.

This building complex is one of the biggest of its kind belonging to the municipal authorities it is administered by the Limassol Municipality, which has exclusively borne its construction cost.

A strong interest is proved to shelter the offices of the Limassol Amathus Sewage Council, departments of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Social Care), the Land and Survey Office, the Town Planning Department and the Water Development Department.

The Municipal Market

The Limassol Municipal Market is one of the most traditional and crowded areas of the old town. However, it suffers significant wear because of time and the old constructions have been inadequate for use and can even be deemd unhealthy. The Municipal Council has taken the initiative to make a decision according to which the area concerned and the Market buildings should be restored and upgraded.

After designing a project and considering the proved interest in restoring and upgrading the area and also assessing the declarations of interest, an offer has been awarded with a view to making a relevant study. The whole project will be implemented in two construction stages.

1st Stage

Restoration of the central rooms, which will still be the grocery. The project comprises works of strengthening the present construction, readapting the configuration of the rooms, conserving the outside area and installing new electrical and mechanical facilities.

2nd Stage

Creation of room for cultural events, a stage for musical shows, a café, a cook shop and offices for providing cultural information.

Those involved in the project study have already been asked to reshape the southeastern part of the old market with a view to hosting the Youth House. This place will be used as a cafeteria, a lecture room and a cultural club.

The construction works will start by the end of 2000.

Second Municipal Market (small grocery)

The Second Municipal Market is an area in the old town, which has over the last years remained undeveloped. The Municipal Council has decided to have it restored and with the co-operation of the Cyprus Association of Architects and Civil Engineers on a volunteer basis, it will be operational as a second grocery with a view to promoting traditional products and trades.

The development works have started on the 18th of September 1999 in a festive atmosphere following the completion of the design and the raising of funds, with cleaning and smartening up the area. The project, which conists of repairing both the internal space and the outside area of the Market building in co-operation with the Town Planning Department, will expectedly finish by September 2000.

Other development works

1) MUNICIPAL ESTATE PROPERTY – CONSERVATION PROJECTS

The Limassol Municipality has over the last three years conserved the following:

1) The library
2) The Ayios Ioannis day nursery
3) The Ayios Nicolaos day nursery
4) The Antonis & Ino Haggipavlu nursery
5) The Popular Art Museum
6) The Conservatoire
7) All the Municipal Toilets
8) A tumbledown building in AndreaThemistokleous street
9) The Town Hall

2) CONNECTION WITH THE SEWAGE SYSTEM

The following municipal estate property and land have been connected to the Limassol Amathus Sewage Council network:

1) The zoo
2) The municipal garden
3) The A municipal market
4) The Conservatoire
5) The library
6) The Popular Art Museum
7) The municipal art gallery
8) The Town Hall
9) The Finance Department Offices
10) All the municipal toilets

3) CONSTRUCTION OF A RAINWATER DRAINAGE SYSTEM

The Limassol Municipality has constructed a rainwater drainage system measuring totally 860 metres long. They cover the streets: Iniochou, Ianou, Menexedon, Kerkyras, Fanariou, Ayiou Andronikou (B Technical School), Markoni and Filiou Zannetou.

4) MUNICIPAL SQUARES AND PARKS

The implementation of the plans on embellishment and development of the Limassol squares and parks in accordance with the Limassol Municipality Five-year Development Plan is a fact. All the Municipality’s squares and parks have initially been listed; they are definitely more than 300 and individual specialists in embellishing a great number of them have already been invited to tender for them. We are actually going through the evaluation stage of the tenders.
Besides, the following squares are fenced: Kassandrou street, Lochagou Kapota street, Dimitri Psatha street, Inachou street, Antiochou street, Sofias Vempo street.
Various organizations, clubs and private individuals have adopted parks, after the Mayor and the Municipal Council have exhorted them to do so.

5) CONSERVATION OF MUNICIPAL COURTS

55 houses which are located in the Agiou Nikolaou area, Pafou street and Gkaite street have been conserved over the last three years. The Municipality aims at finding the financial sources to proceed to their full reconstruction and an eventual extension of the implementation of this institution on a new basis.

6) NEW CONSTRUCTIONS AND CONSERVATION PROCESS

The Limassol Municipality has furthered the construction or the transformation of the following erections and buildings.
1. Changes in the offices of the Finance Department
2. Construction of toilets facilities in the parking place at the earth fill
3. Construction of toilets facilities in the parking place of the Urban Transport
4. Jacking the sculptures on the earth fill
5. 2,33 klm pavement going through the conservation process
6. Installation of 177 parking meters, 146 out of which are double and 13 parking ticket-issuing machines have been placed.
7. Construction of hangars for refuse car in the wholesale market
8. Construction of furniture manufacture workshop
9. Removal of the garage and the sign workshop from the centre to the wholesale market place

7) OLD NEIGHBOURHOOD / CITY CENTRE

The Limassol Municipality adopts and applies conservation and not collapse policies. It has actually proved with the completion of the works within the framework of the zone project regarding the restoration of buildings, squares and monuments, which have already been completed as e.g. the market, the building sheltering the theatre museum, the small grocery, the Water Tower, the 4 traffic lights bridge etc.

We believe that our historical commercial centre being the unique Limassol sense of identity (a crossroads of all those multi-cultural groups, which have passed by Cyprus), which is expressed by the unusual buildings of architectural heritage, is the inestimable wealth of our town, which is expected to turn to advantage according to our goal.

It is not by accident that the Limassol Municipality has proposed to the Ministry of the Interior and the Town Planning Council to include the Castle Area in the town-planning project, which is the debate topic before the relevant committees of the Municipality.
Almost the whole package of the new incentives about the listed buildings has been approved following the pressure exerted by the Municipality.

Some listed buildings’ owners have at the same time been encouraged to have their properties restored and now it is therefore observed a keener interest towards this direction.

The recording process of all these listed buildings and the Turkish Cypriots’ properties in this zone has already started. Furthermore, steps have been taken by the competent vehicles to assign the Municipality some important buildings among those in the zone at stake with view to turn them to advantage.

Yet, the efforts to transform the western part of the Agiou Andreou street and the Castle Area into a pedestrian zone still persist since they have been anticipated by some infrastructure projects regarding the parking and the traffic regulation. Other streets like Saripolou, Anexartisias etc are thought to be upgraded broad and well-done pavements and some reference and relax spots for the pedestrians should be built.

8) OLYMPIANS’ BEACH, SEASIDE STREET, COASTAL FRONT

The preliminary ideas regarding the development plans about the Olympians’ Beach Area have been set down by the Town Planning Bureau during a meeting with the Ministry of the Interior. The creation of a seaside and a pedestrian road starting from the Olympians’ Beach Area and ending to the Holiday Inn Hotel is planned to be completed by October 2000 and a 1,5 million loan has been applied for, to finance the project. Identifying parking places and restricting the geometric characteristics of the Seaside Street has also been asked for with the intention of avoiding our single beach being affected.

9) THE BRIDGE OF THE 4 TRAFFIC LIGHTS

The Limassol Municipality has also included the 4 traffic lights in its project about the historical Bridge. Its construction dates back to 1901 and is considered a unique bridge in the whole island if the technology and the construction means used then are considered. The “Crhysis Demetriades & Co” solicitors’ office has covered the conservation and painting expenses of the bridge within the framework of the cleaning campaign on the occasion of its 50-year anniversary following a public invitation addressed by the Limassol Municipality.

10) PUBLIC GARDEN

The Limassol Public Garden is the biggest and most significant park in our town. The unique zoo in Cyprus is located in it, which has become an attraction for the visitors. The Municipal Council has taken the initiative to conduct a study regarding the zoo development and reformation; it is completed and some projects towards this direction have already been implemented like enriching it with more animals, improving the cages’ state and upgrading the surrounding space. In the public garden new benches have been placed and new games have been introduced thanks to the kind offer by the HSH Company.

The Kiosk has been upgraded and a permanent electrical power unit has been installed to cope with the needs of the Wine Festival.
The upgrading of the Municipal Theatre, one of the most beautiful open theatres in Cyprus, is already ahead.

11) THE ANCIENT PORT QUAY

Another important development project of the Limassol Municipality, which has been completed, is the big historical quay by the Ancient Port.
The Municipality has also decided to improve and reform the land space and ensure the connection of the quay with the pavement of the embankment. Besides, many lights have been placed along it using the old metallic street lanterns.

12) EMBANKMENT

Many changes have also occurred along the embankment within the framework of a campaign of embellishing the surrounding area and making a rule the comfort and the pleasant use of it by the Limassolians. Sculpture and other art works as well as illuminated fountains have been placed there. Besides, public toilets have been built. Yet, a further upgrading of the area is planned with placing seats and installing additional lighting.


13) TURKISH CYPRIOT NEIGHBOURHOOD

Over the last three years funds amounting to CYP200.000 have been granted to embellish the Turkish Cypriot Neighbourhood in the city centre. In the context of upgrading the major area the tree planting process has already started and the road network has been undergoing an improvement; the rainwater drainage system is maintained.

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