Entertainment, cultural venues out of Athens
The operation of shops, restaurants and venues for hosting cultural events at the Olympic facilities of the periphery have been given the green light by the draft law. Thessaloniki’s Kaftandzogleio Stadium and its surrounding areas will be opened to stores, public gathering areas, cultural events venues, a training center, administrative offices and medical clinics. Plans for the stadium at Iraklion in Crete are mostly centered on activities that complement existing infrastructure, except for 20 percent of the area that will be handed over for commercial use. Apart from the usual shops and public spaces, plans include the establishment of a radio and television studio, tourist accommodation and temporary shelters for exhibitions. Alternate Culture Minister Fanni Palli-Petralia said that some 8 million euros has already been set aside to relocate the residents of the Karavola coastal strip (right next to the stadium), while much of the land around the stadium has been expropriated to make way for a large area for entertainment, sports and cultural events, as well as a new stretch of beach for the people of Iraklion. The Olympic stadium at Patras and its surrounding areas will see the opening of shops and restaurants, venues to host cultural events and a training center, as well as areas to hold temporary exhibitions. The same applications will be made to the stadium in Volos. Palli-Petralia also noted that the stadiums of Iraklion and Patras already host a variety of events, bringing in revenue for the state, while all four stadiums on the periphery also serve as home grounds to local soccer clubs.
