Limassol, Cyprus. Seven years after a preliminary decision to move Limassol’s Citizen Service Centre from the seafront to the city centre, the project remains under evaluation pending key findings on the future of the former Cooperative Bank building on Gladstonos Street.
Project status
The latest details were published in Entrepreneurial Limassol, a periodical issued by the Limassol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which reviewed the current status of the long-discussed relocation project.
The move was approved in principle in 2019, with the former district offices of the Cooperative Bank near Pentadromos identified as the preferred location for the new Citizen Service Centre.
Pending assessment
Final decisions on the property’s future remain pending as government departments reassess the condition of the building and the financial implications of either upgrading or replacing it.
Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades told Entrepreneurial Limassol that several studies had already been carried out regarding the operation of a Citizen Service Centre at the site.
He said a new study is under way and is expected to provide a more accurate understanding of the costs associated with maintaining and upgrading the building.
Vafeades said the study would give the Ministry of Finance a better understanding of the costs involved in maintaining and upgrading the building, including the structural reinforcement required to accommodate the service, or whether the building should be demolished and replaced with a new one.
He added that the government is conducting a comprehensive assessment so that the Ministry of Finance can decide how the property should be used.
Ministry position
Maria Alexandrou, senior officer at the Department of Public Administration and Personnel of the Ministry of Finance, confirmed that the ministry continues to support relocating the Citizen Service Centre to central Limassol.
She said progress depends on the outcome of a new technical assessment by the Public Works Department.