Three new regeneration projects which will create more pedestrian areas in Paphos will be presented to the public at an open meeting held in the town on Wednesday.
The planned projects will cost around €3 to €4 million, according to officials.
The event will be held at Palia Ilektriki cultural centre in Paphos old town at 6.30pm and will be conducted in Greek.
The three proposals include the regeneration of: the centre of Anavargos village, the southern area of the traditional shopping centre and Theoskepastis Square and surrounding streets in Kato Paphos, Neophytos Zavrides the municipal engineer told the Cyprus Mail.
“We will present the plans, but studies are not yet concluded so we don’t yet have a final figure, but for the three, it will be around €3 to €4 million. We don’t know where the money will come from yet, but probably from the government,” Zavrides said.
The projects will involve placing underground cables, removing pavements, adding stones or granite, and giving back areas to pedestrians.
“Cars will be taken away and areas made for people to enjoy,” he added.
The programme includes an introduction by the mayor of Paphos Phedonas Phedonos, and Zavrides will also present a traffic study of the tourist area of the town, prepared by the municipality’s department of technical services.
The centre of Paphos is undergoing a massive transformation with new squares and pedestrian areas created, pavements repaired and installed, buildings and car parks spruced up, illegalities, such as unlawful structures, billboards and hoardings removed, and roads resurfaced.
In 2015, the work was kickstarted when President Nicos Anastasiades announced €60m worth of projects for Paphos, including the regeneration of the traditional shopping centre and Kennedy Square, the restoration of the municipal market, the upgrading of the Markideio theatre, and connecting and enhancing the squares of October 28, Kosti Palama and Dionysios Solomos around the town hall.
The mayor is pushing for a number of projects which he believes are sprucing up the towns image and often shares his delight at work underway via social media with the tagline- ‘Paphos is changing’.
“We don’t know when these three projects will get underway, but probably at the end of 2020 and it will take a year to finish everything,” Zavrides said.
