Nicosia, Cyprus. Nicosia municipality is pressing ahead with a €28 million regeneration programme to transform the old city, Mayor Charalambos Prountzos said on Monday.
Regeneration works and Green Line projects
Prountzos said a grant agreement signed in December covers additional regeneration projects along the Green Line, including pedestrian street upgrades and façade restorations set to begin early this year.
University presence in the historic centre
The arrival of the Kapodistrian University marks a turning point, Prountzos said. Medical students studying next to the new town hall have embraced life in the old city, while municipal residential halls have drawn praise from families.
Student accommodation capacity and demand
A second municipal hall is under construction, alongside facilities run by the archbishopric and about 250 private dormitories due for completion within the year. Demand is expected to outstrip supply by 2027, as all licensed schools have advertised places for the 2026 academic year.
The municipality has asked the government to extend incentives for student accommodation.
Faneromeni dispute
Efforts are under way to resolve the dispute over Faneromeni, involving the municipality, the archbishopric, the University of Cyprus and the finance ministry. Prountzos said bringing a major public university into the historic centre has been a fundamental objective and that conditions are being created for a positive agreement.
Momentum has grown after the archbishop signalled support for relocating a university department to the former Faneromeni school, provided it brings a substantial daily student presence and avoids additional construction.
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