Ruling against media village
Plans by 2004 Olympics organizers to build a complex in the northern Athens district of Maroussi to house journalists and security employees in the capital for the Games have suffered a major setback after Greece’s highest administrative court ruled the «media village» would harm the environment and the interests of local residents. The Council of State’s decision was made, and subsequently leaked to the press, in mid-April but only officially published late on Friday. The court found that the 2001 law on which the joint ministerial decision allowing construction of the media village – some 7 hectares of accommodation buildings and another 8 hectares of commercial and leisure facilities – was based is unconstitutional. This law changed the designation of the area from purely residential to «civic center» and permitted a higher density of buildings. The media accommodation complex, one of seven to be set up for the Games, is being built by Lamda Development of the Latsis Group on ground provided by the Maroussi municipality. It is designed to house over 1,600 people.
