The signing ceremony of the agreement for the lease of the old Larnaca Hospital to the Municipality, which will be transformed into a new Municipal Hall, takes place on April 14.
The signing ceremony will take place on Thursday 14 April at the Multipurpose Social Welfare and Employment Centre where the official presentation of the project will take place and the timetables for its implementation will be announced.
As Larnaca Mayor Andreas Vyras told CNA, "the lease contract of the old hospital involves the Ministry of Interior, the "Evanthia I. Pieridou Endowment for Larnaca Hospital" Foundation and the Municipality of Larnaca. In fact, the Municipality will sign two contracts, one between the Minister of Interior, on behalf of the Republic of Cyprus, and the Mayor of Larnaca and one between the Mayor of Larnaca, Chairman of the Larnaca Hospital Visiting and Patient Welfare Council and the Evanthia Pieridou Endowment and the Municipality of Larnaca".
He added that "Larnaca Municipality received last year the opinion of the Prosecutor General of the Republic, which clarifies the issue of the ownership of the listed old hospital of the city, which according to the decision of the Council of Ministers, was to be granted to the Municipality for the creation of a Municipal Hall. The opinion of the Legal Service clarified both the ownership status of the old Hospital and the procedure to be followed for the signing of the lease contract of the listed building."
In response to a question, Mr. Vyras said that "according to a study by the Department of Cadastre and Land Surveying, it was confirmed that the owners of the buildings on the land of the old Hospital are different. Specifically, the land and some new buildings belong to the Republic of Cyprus, while the two listed buildings are registered as property of the Evantias Pierides estate."
He also noted that "with the signing of the contracts, the way is now open for the practical procedures concerning the renovation, additions and conversions, with the aim that the listed building can house the Municipality's services. On 21 November 2021 the Municipality of Larnaca had signed a contract with a private firm for the preparation of a study which is estimated to be completed in approximately one year."
As the Mayor explained, "among other things, the contract provides for the preparation of a study for the restoration of listed buildings, the restoration and/or demolition of existing buildings that are not listed and/or supplementing them with new ones. The study also concerns the landscaping of the exterior of the building, i.e. parking areas, green areas and others, in accordance with the scientifically and legally permitted methods and regulations."
Upon completion of the study, he continued, "the Municipality of Larnaca will invite tenders for an agreement with a contractor who will proceed with the execution of the construction works. It is not expected that there will be any obstacles and delays for the licensing of the project."
With regard to services of the OCYPY operating in the old Larnaca Hospital, the Mayor said that "we have assurances that these services will leave the site in about a year, with a view to relocate to the new wing of the city's General Hospital. However, the outpatient building located on the site of the old hospital will continue to operate as it does today."
In response to another question, Andreas Vyras replied that "it is estimated that the first construction works at the old hospital will begin in 2023, while the cost of converting it into a new Municipal Hall is estimated to reach 6.5 million euros. The restoration of the building will be carried out according to modern techniques, compatible with traditional materials for listed buildings."
Source: CNA
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