Athens mayor takes issue with urban renewal company plan
Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis issued a tersely worded announcement on Wednesday taking issue with a bill tabled in Parliament that foresees the creation of a company responsible for designing and carrying out urban renewal projects in the Greek capital.
“Despite assurances from the authorities that the Municipality of Athens would play a central role, even that of coordinator, in the initiative, the draft law reveals that the city has been demoted to the role of simple member an an eight-member administrative council,” Kaminis said in his announcement.
“This is a government decision that effectively annuls the municipal authority of the country’s capital for reasons that are evidently of a narrow political nature,” he added.
Responding to the criticism, Minister of State Alekos Flambouraris said that the plan for a state-owned contractor to carry out major city renovations has already received the support of the municipal authority but also of the Attica Regional Authority, and is not a decision limited to a single ministry.
If approved by lawmakers, the company will be responsible for carrying out multi-million-euro projects like the revamp of Alexandras Avenue and the former refugee housing complex there.
