Take off delayed for old airport
Five years after the Athens airport moved from Hellenikon, the vast space left behind remains unexploited as redevelopment plans appear to have gotten stuck at the Public Works and Environment Ministry, a source told Kathimerini yesterday. The area, which spreads over 530 hectares, was destined to become «Europe’s largest park» according to former prime minister Costas Simitis, but little has been done to make this happen. A ministry source said that plans to improve the city with a large injection of green spaces have remained on the cards despite the preparation of reports from architects and engineers listing ways the area can be utilized. Public Works and Environment Minister Giorgos Souflias still needs to determine how the space is to be divided up and what development will be allowed, the source added. The area currently hosts six sports grounds, used for the Athens Olympic Games, and two training facilities, but other state bodies have also claimed their own stake. Storage areas for tram and bus vehicles along with facilities handed over to firefighters and police have all taken a chunk out of the rapidly shrinking area. A growing part of the old airport is also turning into a landfill, as people have illegally dumped tons of garbage in the area. Local municipalities have said that they want the area to be developed under state control rather than broken up and sold in blocks.
