International zone installations during and after the Games
The consortium which is to construct half of the international zone in the Olympic Village is to be chosen by the end of the month from a short list of six. The contractor will be able to profit from the 10.3 hectares for the next 70 years. The zone will include auxiliary areas, such as restaurants, accreditation offices and reception areas, a shopping center, recreation and leisure areas and parking lots. In the next few days, the evaluation of the remaining sector (the other half of the international zone) will be completed, where Labor Ministry and Mining and Geology Research Institute services will be housed after the Games. OEK has already reached agreement with these two organizations for the sale of the property after the evaluation is complete, and will supervise the construction. Private individuals and companies who undertake the other section may build up to 52,000 square meters of floor space for commercial use. They must have completed 20,000 square meters by April 30, 2004, to be used during the Games for restaurants, kitchens, accreditation and reception areas, along with the Olympic Village shopping center. There appears to be only one selection criterion, that of price, since there is no time to inspect details such as business plans. According to OEK’s president, Asimakopoulos, the winner is whoever bids the highest for the use of the property.
