An open wound of Larnaka closes, opening up, at the same time, huge prospects for development, on a large coastal front on the Larnaca – Dhekelia road, which will be connected, through a pedestrian street, with Finikoudes. The parallel development of the Larnaca port and marina will transform the entire area, which aspires to radically change the quality of life of its inhabitants, but also the offered tourist product of the city.
The relocation of ExxonMobil’s last oil tanks is in the final stage, while by the summer the LPG facilities will be dismantled. Already, as “F” is informed, there is an application from Israeli investors for the first major tourist development in the area, in the area next to the university of AMERICAN UNIVERSITY. A master plan for large developments is also being prepared by the Petrolina Group, which owns the largest area in the area of about 400,000 square meters.
The executive chairman of the Petrolina Group, Dinos Lefkaritis, explained that due to the pandemic and the severe weather phenomena, there will be a slight delay in the movement of the last oil tanks and LPG installations, as this will not be possible until March 31.
“As petroleum products, we have left Larnaca since January 1, 2020. We moved to Vasilikos in very modern facilities, with many safeguards and many provisions for the protection of the environment. At the end of 2021, Petrolina Bayfront bought the area where ExxonMobil’s facilities were. The demolitions started in January and we estimate that they will be completed in two to three months,” Mr. Lefkaritis said.
As far as LPG installations are concerned, they were delayed, as some components from abroad said. “We will start the tests that are needed, which will take a quarter. This means that by the summer, the LPG will have been transferred to Vasilikos. I think it’s a reasonable delay, because no one expected us to have such a winter this year, while we also had delays due to coronavirus cases. I believe that by the end of 2022, we will only see fields and no facilities in Larnaca.”
In the area of Petrolina’s oil tank facilities, the subsoil has already been cleaned, while a company from abroad has been hired to carry out measurements in the area of those of ExxonMobil, in order to begin cleaning the subsoil.
Investors will be sought
It is estimated that by the end of this year, the master plan of the Petrolina Group will be completed, which due to the large area it holds, will play a decisive role in shaping the new image of the area. Investors will then be sought in order for the projects to move faster. It is noted that the urban planning zones in the area have changed, it is now considered touristic and will have high building coefficients, due to the incentives given for the movement of the companies’ facilities. “The area allows you to do hotels, towers, residential units, schools, hospitals, etc. It’s all open at this stage. In the company we have created an internal department, dealing exclusively with this issue. Our vision is to do what is good for the city and an area that is environmentally friendly. Due to the fact that we are from Larnaca, we want to do something right and not make mistakes with the developments that other cities may have done. We are in contact with the Municipality of Larnaca, which has a very good cooperation and we will see the suggestions and ideas”, noted the executive chairman of the Petrolina Group. In the area of the Larnaka – Dhekelia road, however, several public works are planned, such as parks, bicycle paths, as well as the extension of the pedestrian street to the coastal front of Finikoudes. The goal of the Municipality of Larnaca is to transfer the city’s university faculties there.
“Larnaka’s time for development has come”
The estimate is that there will be great growth in the area over a five-year period, at a time when the investor’s work on the port and marina of Larnaca will proceed.
“The prospects are very good for Larnaca. We recently had a meeting as Larnaca Tourism Development and Promotion Company (ETAP), with the consortium that will undertake the port and marina project and informed us about their plans, which start on April 1st. It is a very worthwhile project and they will immediately start the first phase, with the development of the marina. So I think there, too, there will be a significant growth in the next five years. It seems that the time has come for Larnaka for development”, indicated Mr. Lefkaritis, who is also president of the ETAP.
Source: philenews.com
