Work to turn the former Ellinikon International Airport in the Greek capital of Athens into a luxury complex began on Friday in the presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, as aired by the national ERT broadcaster
ATHENS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd July, 2020) Work to turn the former Ellinikon International Airport in the Greek capital of Athens into a luxury complex began on Friday in the presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, as aired by the national ERT broadcaster.
The site is the country's largest investment project, worth 8 billion Euros ($9 billion), and one of the largest European urban development initiatives. A residential complex, entertainment center, casino, hotels and park are supposed to be built on the site of the airport. In addition, five skyscrapers are expected to be constructed, including one with a height of 200 meters (656 feet). On Friday, workers began to demolish old airfield buildings and several new structures, which were used during the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and hosted exhibitions.
According to the broadcaster, Mitsotakis said that the implementation of "the most significant investment in the country" had begun in the face of economic difficulties and the project would be the symbol of "a new Greece."
"This is a very important day, a symbolic day. Having destroyed these old useless buildings of the old airport, we are laying the foundations for the new Ellinikon. Perhaps, the largest project in the Mediterranean will be implemented here," Mitsotakis said, adding that the airport will create 80,000 jobs, including 10,000 at the construction stage.
The airport is located just a few kilometers from the center of Athens and was in operation until 2001. It was closed after the construction of the Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos for the 2004 Olympic Games. The privatization of the territory of the former airport was one of the prerequisites for the allocation of loans by international lenders during the economic crisis. The investment project for the reconstruction of the airport was frozen for several years due to objections from archaeologists demanding to limit the scale of work.
