THREE NEW TOWERS WITH TOTAL OF 97 FLOORS IN LIMASSOL

 Filenews 26 October 2020 - by Angelos Nikolaou

The green light for the construction of three high-rise buildings reaching 143 meters high in the parish of Tsiflikos in Limassol was given by the Environmental Authority, after an environmental impact assessment of the project of Melkor Holdings Ltd and bearing the name Loel High Rise Residential. The Environmental Impact Assessment Study (EEP) for the project was submitted to the Environmental Authority by letter from the Limassol Municipality dated 2/4/2020 for evaluation. Six months later, on 21/10/2020, the development opinion was adopted. It is noted that the first phase of demolition of the existing buildings took place without prior information to the Department of the Environment and it was decided that the remaining buildings should be demolished after the opinion of the Environmental Authority.

The project will be built on the site of the LOEL factory in Limassol. Within the parts of the proposed development there are building facilities (offices, warehouses, bottling area, etc.), large tanks (stainless steel and wooden), oil tanks, premises/warehouse with metal panes (boxes, wooden pallets, electronic appliances, aggregates, etc.) which are to be demolished before the construction work of the three new buildings.

On the southern border of the pieces is the carnagio (repair of boats) and the Aktia Street, which will be improved according to the design of the Department of Planning and Housing. The Beach Protection Zone abuts the project.

Initially the proposed one concerned the construction and operation of three residential buildings (35, 35 and 45 floors respectively) consisting of 609 apartments, 747 parking spaces (43 disabled spaces), swimming pools and gym in each building, exhibition areas, event spaces and canteens. In addition, a six-storey public parking lot consisting of 875 parking spaces (48 disabled spaces) will be built. The total area of the pieces under study is 32,271 m2. The area of the project will cover an area of approximately 8,150 m2 and the public parking area will cover an area of about 4,300 m2.

A new letter was subsequently submitted by the developer on 5/2/2020, with revised data on project planning. The design was changed after consultation between the investor and the Planning Authority and are as follows:

Its final proposal concerns the following conversions at the height of buildings into apartment units, border parking spaces on Aktia Street, preserved buildings, shading study, etc.:

Tower A: From 45 floors it is converted to 35 floors (143 m) (including the ground floor and pedestal levels of the building; 10 middle levels have been removed; from 245 total number of apartments are converted into 185 apartments.

Tower B: From 35 floors it is converted to 31 floors (128 m) (including the ground floor and the pedestal levels of the building). Four middle levels have been removed. From 178 total number of apartments are converted to 154 apartments.

Tower C: From 35 floors it is converted to 31 floors (128 m) (including the ground floor and the levels of the pedestal of the building). Four middle levels have been removed. From 186 total number of apartments are converted to 158 apartments. The total number of apartments in the development is converted from 609 to 497.

Also, the total number of parking spaces in the development is converted from 747 to 575.

The initial movement of cars from Aktia Street has been revised and car traffic is not allowed. Traffic will be carried out by the extension of Acropolis Street (vertical to Franklin Roosevelt Avenue), which will be improved to include two roundabouts.

Under the new revised plans, the above-ground six-storey public parking on the north side of the development is removed and the new proposed road network is shown. Access to the development will be from Franklin Roosevelt Avenue. It is proposed to create two circular nodes on the south side.

Restoration of a listed building

A new application has been submitted to formally define the listed buildings and to proceed with the remaining demolitions on the remaining blocks. The listed building will be restored and will form part of the green space of the project.

A new shading study has also been prepared in line with the modifications that have taken place at the height of the buildings. The results of the shading study show that a small number of existing industrial, commercial and residential premises will be affected during the early hours of the winter season.

According to the scholars there are none and they will not remove any important trees from the pieces. The flora to be removed concerns a small number of acacias (approximately 10) as well as 7 palm trees which are proposed to be transplanted. Trees located near the borders of the growth pieces will not be removed (eucalyptus, palm trees, cypresses).