PMV Maritime Holdings CEO Anthoulis Kountouris describes Marina Paralimniou as a project that will contribute to the development of maritime tourism and will offer numerous services to both vacationers and residents of the area, while emphasizing that funding is exclusively a Cypriot affair in its print edition "Insider" July of the newspaper Phileleftheros.
The project is of the order of 110 million euros and as Mr. Kountouris explains, it is in the process of licensing and within two months it is expected to get the green light so that its implementation can proceed. In addition, it analyzes all the project schedules, explaining how it will function as a point of entry into the Republic of Cyprus.
Regarding the shops and restaurants that will be hosted in the marina of Paralimni, Mr. Kountouris reveals that agreements have been signed with well-known companies in the field of catering. At the same time, discussions are underway with a gastronomy house from abroad, which will staff the restaurants of the small shopping center.
With the creation of the Paralimni marina, the Republic of Cyprus will gain another entrance. What will be the effects of the project on the economy (local economy, tourism, etc.)?
Marilina Paralimniou is a vital project, as it will contribute to the development of maritime tourism and will offer services in an area that is the main destination for boats in our country, with ideal conditions for navigation and the most beautiful seas. More important, however, is the fact that the Paralimni Marina will be an attraction for visitors all year round and will be a first but important step in combating seasonality, as the development will operate 365 days a year and will offer high standard services with the same, stable quality.
The effort to create the marina in Paralimni has been going on for several years. Where are you today?
The project is in the process of licensing and specifically the green light is expected from the Department of Environment, so that the Department of Urban Planning can proceed with the issuance of the master plan license and the license for mixed land development. As you know, these procedures are time consuming as they include consultations with more than 20 public departments. We hope that we will have the relevant permits within the next two months so that we can proceed with the licensing for the port projects, which will mean the start of construction work. Our goal is to start work at the end of October 2019.
What are the project implementation schedules?
The project will be delivered in three phases: the port projects will be delivered 18 months after the start of work, while 12 months later the commercial part of the development will be delivered together with the first part of the residential development. The project is expected to be completed within 48 months of the start of work.
At what stage are the relevant works today?
Relevant studies that have been completed and include architectural studies, mechanical, geological and biological research, archaeological research, electromechanical, traffic and especially environmental impact study (MEEP), are particularly difficult and time consuming, as they have a lot to do with teamwork. meetings. The project team consists of Cypriot, Greek and English professionals of their kind, so coordination was quite difficult. However, we have managed to complete the relevant studies in a period of 14 months and we are currently awaiting approval from the relevant public departments. The master plan was submitted at the end of August 2018, the urban planning permit was submitted on December 22 of the same year and the environmental impact study on April 12, 2019. At the moment we are waiting, but at the same time other studies such as construction details and electromechanical. The construction site has been marked and the relevant fence is expected to be completed soon.
What are the characteristics of the Paralimni marina that make it stand out from the rest of the marinas in Cyprus?
The marina is expected to be a point of reference and to contribute in practice to the enrichment of the tourist product in free Famagusta. In addition, it will attract investors and bring further economic growth. The Paralimni Marina, as the official entry point to the Republic of Cyprus, will house government services such as the Port and Maritime Police, Customs, Foreign Service, Medical and Veterinary Services and the Drug Enforcement Agency. Furthermore, based on the main activity that will be the mooring of 300 yachts, services such as yacht club, fuel station, boat rentals as well as all the necessary services to serve the visitors and mooring boats in the port of Marina will be included.
Great interest
How do you assess the interest so far in the apartments and villas for sale? Was there interest from foreign potential buyers? What is the profile of the buyer you are targeting?
All luxury standard projects and special infrastructure projects are aimed at people from the upper income strata with the need for foreign buyers, whose descent is directly related to the naturalization program. I believe that with the completion of the infrastructure projects announced by the government, we will no longer depend only on the program but foreigners will also come for the standard of living, quality and services that our country will offer. Sales have not still start, since we are waiting for the relevant permits, but the interest is warm and especially from Cypriot buyers. We presented the project for the first time abroad, at the luxury real estate exhibition of Monte Carlo that took place in May and we will soon prepare the action plan for the promotion of sales.
You have recently stated that you have agreed to sell the premises. Can you give us more details?
On the ground floor of the pier will be 18 commercial developments that will include cafes, restaurants and retail stores, which will operate as a small seaside shopping center of high standards. These outlets have already been pre-agreed and include well-known catering companies. Discussions are currently underway with a gastronomy house from abroad, which will be the flagship of commercial development.
Usually projects of this scope are implemented with the contribution of foreign capital. What applies in the case of the Paralimni marina?
Paralimniou Marina is a project of the order of 110 million euros and in addition to the owner company PMV Maritime Holdings Ltd, partners in the project are J&P, Marina Projects Ltd, as well as Nicolaides & Kountouris Metal Company Ltd. The architects of the project are the British house Harper Downie Creative Architecture in collaboration with Kythreotis Architects and for the landscape art the house Camlins. The financing of the project is exclusively a Cypriot affair.
How does the fact that there is still a marina, that of Ayia Napa, relatively close, differentiate things?
The Paralimni marina is a smaller development, it is completely manageable and will not depend solely on the interest of foreign investors and the attraction of very large boats. The marina of Ayia Napa, just 15 nautical miles away, will probably be a daily destination for users of our marina. Each will have its own, special features and will function as alternative proposals for those interested. High-level maritime tourism requires a network in which the traveler can dock for entertainment or other reasons. We hope that the marinas in Larnaca and Paphos will move forward, creating a complete network of marinas, which will put us on the map of global shipping.
Source: Insider