Limassol Municipality will seek financial support from EU Structural Funds in order to develop a series of projects from 2014 onwards.
The proposal was drawn up on the basis of a philosophy which takes into consideration the economic crisis, but also stresses that the EU will not be funding redevelopment projects like those carried out in the past in order to shed a new light on the town, but rather projects focusing on environmental intervention, energy efficiency and innovation. Most of the proposals can be characterised as innovative plans which have undergone months of investigation by the town’s mayor and his associates and involve infrastructure works related to the environment and look to upgrade the quality of life of citizens living in the city centre as well as the suburbs.
Mayor Andreas Christou was given the green light by the council to go ahead with seeking the funding at a recent meeting during which the proposed projects were thoroughly discussed and examined. The mayor’s recommendations include:
– Reconstruction of the coast from the Marina to the new port which has been neglected due to previous uses of the area such as an abattoir, factory and winery.
The project will involve a pedestrian walk, bicycle lane, cafes, outdoor exercise areas, meeting areas, docks, platforms in the sea, lighting and a beach.
? Another project is the Green Conference Centre which will operate on renewable energy sources, potentially built at sea to use wave energy and solar panels.
? The mayor also hopes to upgrade the Municipal Market by embellishing the space and creating stations for vendors.
? Docks in the sea in addition to those already under construction
? Upgrading the beachfront in the city centre
? A man-made island in the sea to serve as a bar/restaurant
? Upgrading of historic industrial buildings
? A linear park along the canal of the Garillis River
? Electric cars for the city centre
? Solar panel arcades in commercial streets
? Waste management in town
? Connecting the beachfront from the city limits to Moni by sea transport
? Creating an information system via computer, telephone, internet and information kiosk
? A geographical Information System (GIS) to help residents and electronic marking of parking spaces complete the proposals.
Cyprus Weekly
