The Limassol Municipality has announced plans to build the city's first social student hostel, which is a really important project as it'll provide affordable housing for students because rent is going up a lot.
The local council is going to hold an architectural competition soon to choose the design for the building and then to choose the architect to supervise its construction.
The Mayor of Limassol, Yiannis Armeftis, says the new hostel is expected to cost around €6.5 million. The building will be constructed on municipal land on Voreiou Ipeirou Street, in a great spot close to the city centre and an area where major urban development projects are already planned.
One of the best things about the new hostel is that it'll be much cheaper to rent, about 30% cheaper than the average price in Limassol. The idea is to help students and their families who are struggling with high rents.
At a recent meeting of the evaluation committee at City Hall, the tech requirements for the project were approved and the competition terms and stages were finalised.
The local council has already asked the Cyprus Chamber of Science and Technology and the Cyprus Association of Architects to send people to the competition committee, as the law says they have to.
Armeftis said the official announcement about the start of the competition should be made in about three weeks. The winner of the competition will get to design the building and supervise its construction. The project will be paid for from the local council's budget, with some help from private investors. Armeftis said that the building will have 80 beds for students, including those with disabilities and those who need assistance. So, the new housing development will be affordable and inclusive.
The mayor says construction will take about 20 months, and the whole project should be finished in three to four years. As well as housing, there might be other facilities on campus, like public spaces, recreation areas, classrooms, and infrastructure for a sustainable lifestyle.
This is more than just a building. We're creating an accessible and dignified environment for future generations of Limassol students, Armeftis concluded.