Larnaca Municipality is preparing to start a major renovation of the historic Old Hospital building, where the department's staff will move to in the future.
The Municipality recently presented the project, which has been developed by Dimitris Michail & Associates Ltd.
According to the release, the modernization of the facility will be based on criteria established by the Department of City Planning and Housing. The building will retain its authentic character. All changes during the renovation will be made to respect the character, typology and morphology of the building. During the restoration, modern techniques compatible with the traditional materials of the surviving buildings will be used. In particular, the external masonry will be completely restored. The later additions located to the north of the old hospital will be demolished. At the same time, the "wings" of the main building will be united by a glazed 2-storey corridor. The area around the city hall will be landscaped, fencing will be installed around it, and a spacious parking lot will be installed inside.
In more detail, the building will house:
- A reception area and a quick service area for citizens.
- Offices for the mayor, deputy mayor and municipal councillors.
- Municipal Council meeting room and conference rooms.
- Administration and personnel department.
- Maintenance department.
- Accounting and taxation department.
- Sanitation and cleaning department.
- Traffic Services.
More than 150 employees of Larnaca Municipality, which will merge with Livadia and Oroklini in the summer as part of the local government reform, will move into the new building.
The municipality is expected to issue a tender for a contractor at the end of March. The results of the tender will be summarized by the summer. And in the fall of 2024, construction work will start, which will last 24 months. The cost of the project, which will be financed by Larnaca Municipality, is estimated at 6.6 million euros + VAT.
The first structures of the old hospital building were erected in 1900, and in 1933-1934, thanks to donations from Evanthia Pieridou, two wings were added at once.
Additions followed until the hospital took its present form. The great philanthropist, who died in 1934, donated a huge amount of money, as well as her entire estate, to Larnaca. She bequeathed the famous seaside mansion to the city on the condition that the proceeds from its rental would be used for the Larnaca Hospital.
Over the years, various mayors of Larnaca have tried to negotiate with the state to give the old hospital building to the town hall, but no decision was ever made because the few medical services that were still located on the first floor had nowhere to move and no one wanted to pay for it. There was another point: according to the will, the building was to be used only as a hospital, but the heirs of the Pieridis family were fine with Larnaca City Hall moving there.
Finally, in September 2020, the State Health Organization (OKYpY) announced its intention to move the medical staff to a new wing of the Larnaca General Hospital. This is expected to happen before the beginning of the fall. In this way, the City Hall will finally have the opportunity to move into the former old hospital building from a residential building on the seafront.
