Dispute leaves coast to spoil
A dispute between a municipality in southern Athens and the state-controlled firm Olympic Properties has resulted in the abandonment of a stretch of land in Neo Faliron which had been slated for a public leisure complex. The 24-hectare stretch between the Peace and Friendship Stadium and the Olympic Beach Volleyball Venue had been destined to accommodate an ecological park and sports complex. A few saplings had been planted prior to the Olympics but have withered and now the site is a garbage dump and a makeshift camp for Roma families. Moschato municipal authorities claim that Olympic Properties, with whom they started talks in early 2006, backed down on their promises. But the firm, set up to manage and develop the legacy of the Athens 2004 Games, says Moschato authorities were late in finding funding. «We have secured -8 million from the General Secretariat for Sports. People cannot wait for the municipality to find funding,» the firm’s president, Christos Hadziemmanuil, told Kathimerini.
