Limassol municipality turns its attention to the suburbs, to give them a share of the city centre’s development, mayor Nicos Nicolaides told Phileleftheros.
According to Nicolaides, upgrading the quality of life in the suburbs is a basic priority of the Municipality which aims at better distribution of development.
The municipality is implementing a programme aimed at the creation of ‘environmental neighbourhoods’ and roads.
The programme will gradually include neighbourhoods from all of the city, starting with three neighbourhoods in the districts of Ayios Spyridonas, Zakaki and Ayios Nikolaos.
The term ‘environmental neighbourhood’ refers to areas a priority is given to people and private car use is “discouraged,” Nicolaides said.
The environmental neighbourhood project contains the redevelopment of selected roads, which are connected to schools and greenspaces, building bicycle paths and organised car parks and planting trees. Environmental neighbourhoods will have socialising areas for residents, streets and areas rich in green, organised cycling tracks and large pedestrian routes. Speed limits will be set at 30 km/h and pedestrians and cyclists will be given priority.
The first neighbourhoods that were selected for upgrading are located in degraded areas. Specifically, the first environmental neighbourhood that was designed is in Zakaki and includes the streets of Sarantaporos, Asia, Souda, Antipaxos, Xirokambos, Iokastis, Sfakion, Mani, Psiloritou, Miletou, Igesou, Isaia, Aristokyprou, Karneadis, Loudemi, Dimitriou and Ilioupoli.
Construction in this area is expected to begin in April 2019 and the deadline is set for the end of 2019.
The cost for each neighbourhood will be € 1 million and will be covered by municipality funds.
Planned projects for the western part of the centre
According to Nicolaides, the municipality also plans eleven additional projects for the western part of Limassol’s centre that will be co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
These are:
- Reconstruction and restoration of the municipality-owned blocks of flats in Misiaouli and Kavazoglou streets and their utilisation for cultural, social and educational purposes.
- Construction of a centre of innovation and entrepreneurship in the municipal building complex of Franklin Roosevelt Street.
- Green walkway to the religious, historical and architectural monuments of the western area of ​​the city centre.
- Restoration of the Turkish Cypriot cinema and redevelopment into multi-cultural cultural activities.
- Enrichment of squares (Syntagma, Fillellon, Renaissance, Nikos Roussos).
- Construction of Peace Square.
- Improvement of houses and shop in a part of the western area of ​​the city centre.
- Redevelopment of Missiaouli Kavazoglou Street.
- Expansion of Garilli Linear Park.
- Organic link to the sea along Pallados / Democracy / Alexandria streets.
- Vertical accesses to the sea front.
- Establishment of an adult care centre and creation of a homeless shelter.
