Larnaca, a quiet and peaceful port town on the south coast of Cyprus, is growing and changing before your eyes. It is building high-rises and restoring luxurious historic colonial buildings, renovating pedestrianised squares in the centre, building new roads in the suburbs and opening parks and other public spaces.
On Monday 27 January, the coastal city's municipality announced that more than €130 million will be invested in the development of Larnaca over the next two years.
One of the main projects, for which they plan to spend €20 million, will be the School of Marine Science, Technology and Sustainable Development. The new educational facility will be built next to Mackenzie Beach. The cost of constructing the building and purchasing equipment is estimated at €16 million, with an annual operating cost of €4 million. The faculty will have two departments. One will be dedicated to marine sciences and technologies, the other to sustainable development in the area of Schiping. A postgraduate programme is also planned. The project is expected to be approved by the Cabinet in 2025.
Another landmark project will be the modernisation of Larnaca Marina. A budget of €30 million will be allocated for this purpose. Dredging work will be carried out, marine conservation work will be carried out, the reconstruction of the historic pier will be completed and a new area for the lifting and maintenance of ships will be created. The Larnaca Maritime Club building will house offices and public entertainment areas. The project will be launched next year.
Five major infrastructure projects totalling more than €20 million will also be completed in the coastal town by 2025.
These include the construction of the Ciaquilero Recreational Park (€2.3 million), the creation of the Pattihio Park (€6.7 million), the renovation of the police chief's residence (€1.3 million), the renovation of a home for the elderly (€6 million) and the upgrading of the Livadia flood control channel (€3.8 million).
In 2026, according to the mayor's office, Larnaca plans to complete four more projects for a total of €34.6m. The renovation of the central part of Livadia (€3.6m) and the historic quarter of Agios Ioannis (€8m) will begin in 2025. The transformation of the city's shopping centre, for which €13.3m has been allocated, is on schedule, with work on the historic squares and pedestrian areas to be completed by the end of 2026. The third phase of the €17m Larnaca-Dekelia road project is expected to be delivered next year.
At the same time, the municipality said that three major projects in the city, estimated to cost €18.5m, have been delayed. These include the conversion of the old Larnaca hospital into a town hall (€10.5m), the creation of an archaeological park (€4m) and the Salt Lakes environmental information centre (€4m).