Josep Acebillo presented on Wednesday his vision of the development of former Athens Airport in Elliniko, although he didn’t refer to neither the time schedule nor the budget of the project. Actually, the presentation included no clear master plan or investing program, it took place aiming on “transparency”, according to the Spanish architect.
Spyros Pollalis, president and managing director of Elliniko SA, the tender for the appointment of a contractor will take place within the year.
“The project must proceed quickly. Besides planning, we are interested in the business plan”, he said.
Josep Acebillo said that he accepted Greek government’s invitation to provide advice to Elliniko, because of his “love for this country“, and clarified that his is not Greek Prime Minister’s personal friend.
Regarding the company Barcelona Strategical Urban Systems, he stated that he is not its owner, but a director.
He called the Elliniko project a national issue, as the 6,100 acres area is “the most important lot in Greece”.
Acebillo has taken up the strategic planning of the project, while the preparation of the architectural design would be implemented by Greek architects.
A park itself doesn’t solve the problem of the area, he said. His proposal includes the creation of open spaces of 72% of overall area and a residential zone of 2 million square meters:
-One million square meters would be assigned for the development of 6,200-6,500 houses, which could accommodate about 15,000 residents.
-300,000 sq. m. of parking spaces and services.
-Office spaces of up to 20%.
He also recommends the development of a shopping centre, a conference centre, a campus, a greenhouse to absorb carbon dioxide and a media park. He ruled out the possibility of a casino and proposed the installation of photovoltaic systems on the roofs.
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