Limassol mayor unveils bold plan to transform city centre and coast

Limassol Mayor Yiannis Armeftis has outlined a wide-ranging plan to modernise the city centre and coastal front, setting out proposals to Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou for projects aimed at reshaping public space and boosting university, cultural and green development. 

According to Philenews the package includes the regeneration of Aktaia Odos, the relocation of Karnagio, and the use of key state-owned plots such as the Old Hospital, the Central Police Station and the old Post Office.  

Armeftis said the municipality’s goal is to create a more accessible, sustainable urban environment that unites the port with the city centre and strengthens public-private cooperation. 

On Aktaia Odos, he explained that progress depends on moving Karnagios, which still plays an important role in ship repair and maintenance as demand rises across Cyprus’ five marinas.  

At the same time, the municipality is pressing for an architectural competition to design the new coastal front.  

“The aim is to unite the port with the city centre through a pedestrian-friendly environment,” Armeftis said, adding that, “We do not want a four-lane road. We want a promenade, a public space that belongs to the people of Limassol.” 

Access to the redeveloped coastal zone would be reserved for pedestrians and public transport, with buses or a fixed-track system under study. A seabed and beach clean-up is also planned for September 27 to prepare the area for swimming. 

Turning to the Old Hospital site, Armeftis said the municipality is not seeking ownership but wants to see it developed into a hub combining administrative and university uses.  

He mentioned that other proposals include converting the police building into a conference centre and repurposing the adjoining 42,000-square-metre plot for mixed use. “We envision a large urban square linking the Water Tower with the Technical University of Cyprus (Tepak),” he said. 

The municipality is also advancing projects around the old GSO stadium, where an Information Centre for the EU “Cities 2030” mission will be established in place of a failed cafeteria project, according to Entrepreneurial Limassol, a periodical published by the Limassol Chamber of Commerce (Evel).

As mentioned, the wider plan foresees a large park connecting landmarks across the area. 

Armeftis said the Sports Museum at the GSO’s multifunctional park should be ready within months, possibly by year-end, after contract delays.  

But he acknowledged the broader site falls short of expectations, pointing to abandoned facilities such as the northern locker rooms. “When you leave an abandoned building, you not only create a bad image,” he said, “but you also destroy and underutilise a public asset.” 

The Information Centre, now in its final design stage, will act as a hub for awareness and cooperation on climate neutrality, with construction expected to move ahead quickly.  

“It is very important that the Information Centre be placed in a prominent location, so that it is accessible to the public,” Armeftis said, noting that this will demonstrate the emphasis the municipality places on the initiative. 

The municipality also intends to upgrade the north-side parking lot, which has been transferred to its ownership through the Fytidou legacy, and integrate it into a new master plan.  

That plan would link key sites from Enaerio in the east through the Courts, the Archaeological Museum and the Public Garden to the GSO and Phytidou estate in the west.  

“We want to mature the project so that an architectural competition can be announced,” he said, “and to examine how the unification of the Public Garden with other spaces into a large park can be achieved.” 

He pointed out that various developments are already underway, such as the expansion of the Archaeological Museum into the Public Garden and the recent listing of the ‘Psaras’ pavilion, a modernist work by architect Polydoridis.  

“That is why we are in consultation, following a decision by the Municipal Council,” Armeftis added, “in order to find ways to utilise the building and make it available to citizens.” 

Three universities, the University of Cyprus (UoC), the Technical University of Cyprus (Tepak) and Frederick University, will contribute expertise in urban and spatial planning. Armeftis described their involvement as decisive, saying they have “the necessary scientific knowledge and experience for documented guidance.” 

Traffic measures are also on the table, with approved plans to introduce one-way systems around Olympia Street and the Public Garden to ease congestion on narrow two-way routes including Karaiskaki, Venizelou and Ayiou Andreou. 

“Across all these initiatives, our aim is the same,” the mayor concluded, “to create quality public space that benefits Limassol and its citizens.”