Bakoyannis: “It is very important that the Double Redevelopment is progressing”

“With the projects we are doing, we are trying to improve the situation in Athens, but we still have a lot to do,” the mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, told SKAI 100.3 and Aris Portosalte, while he talked about everything that is “running” and planned by himself to be done in the municipality.

Mr. Bakoyiannis spoke in detail:

For the Panathinaikos stadium, Botanikos and Double Redevelopment: The preliminary works have started 2-3 months ago. The schedule says it will be ready in 36 months and if the joint venture ends earlier, it is expected to get a bonus. Asphalt paving has already been done in Botanikos. At the same time, we are proceeding with the electric lighting, while work is also being done on “Petrino”.

At the moment we are not just doing earthworks. It is work for the sanitation of the soil since everyone was throwing whatever they wanted there. In fact, we know that he also had a ticket. You paid, entered and left whatever you wanted and left. And all this 1.5 km from Omonia. It is very important that the Double Regeneration is progressing. When the stadium is handed over to Botanikos, historic Avenue will also fall where it will become a park and an underground parking lot below.

A second project is also underway at Botanikos. That of infrastructure. We are creating a new city there. Streets, squares, etc. Green will exceed 50% of the redevelopment because this is what the agreement provides. Also, we have taken the Botanical garden from EKPA. When the National Garden was built, the Botanic Garden was also built to feed the National. There is greatness in there. There we will do a maintenance project to reopen to the public in 1.5 to 2 years. At the same time, we have many locked green spots, such as Ardittos, which you can only enter by jumping over the railing. So we are close to an agreement with Zappeio to pass Ardittos to the Municipality and to open 60 acres of green to the public”.

For the Fokianos swimming pool: We are in contact with the EOE to take over the swimming pool and open it. We have done a study with the Region of Attica for a fund of 5.5 million euros which we want to enter the European program but it will take time, it is quite difficult.

For refugees: There is a ready study with the Region of Attica. If we ask for one thing this term, it is only this. The refugees. The study is excellent. It is about restoring all the buildings, none will come down as there is a presidential decree for this. They will become residences to help people who are in the cancer hospital, it will become a museum of historical memory for the Asia Minor Civilization and we will also make a green space.

For the projects that take place in the center of Athens: Behind the Court of Appeal there is a green area, we are making it a park. We are building playgrounds next to it.

For the University: We focus on getting it done. It will be ready by summer. The trees have already been planted and three crews are working simultaneously to complete it. And these in combination with Omonia which came back to life, with Syntagma Square and Vas. Olgas which will connect Kallimarmaro with the Acropolis, with Lycabettus which will reopen the theater. Wide sidewalks will be made, modern and safe and usable for the disabled as until now we had no ramps. There will be greenery and dozens of new trees. Due to a heat stain it was decided that it is better to put tiles instead of cement which we had said at the beginning.

For the plane trees in Athens: Since 2004 dozens have been planted. The tree plantations must be homogenized. In Bucharest and Valaoritou, we are changing the tiles that were causing a problem and were slipping in the rain. We will put plane trees in the University because we already had plane trees. We have a problem with the mulberry trees in Vas. Sofias and Vas. Konstantinou because they are sick and falling. We looked into it and ended up putting in new trees. Tall trees because the mulberry is lower. For Vas. Sofias, the competition is running to get jacarandas, and then we are waiting for the agronomists to tell us when we should plant the trees. In the meantime, we will replace the slabs and build new sidewalks.

For the sidewalks: Right now we have six synergies on six fronts in the city at the same time and counting. We have laid tens of thousands of square meters, but we want many more.

For the homeless: For the first time the mayor of Athens can say that there is a bed for every homeless person. We have made a versatile homeless center. We also want to make a new structure in collaboration with OKANA and KETHEA to accommodate homeless drug users. When you see so many users gathered in a neighborhood it’s because it has a market. Where is the catch? Where he has trade. So more policing is needed there. There are also Athenians in Victoria in America, in Agios Pavlos, in Thymarakia who are forced to walk over homeless people when they take their child to school. The neighborhoods of Athens need policing. In this, as a municipality, we have replaced the state, but there is only so much we can do. We need cooperation and the first move I will make after the election is to knock on doors and say we have a problem here.

For the tourist buses that were creating a problem with parking: It was a municipal council decision, the product of detailed consultation with professionals. This decision says that stopping is allowed in the 3 known spots and we have given more than 11 spots in Ymitto, Athens Avenue, Filopappou etc for stopping and parking. We have seen improvement and the next step is for double-decker buses that stop for 15 minutes to wait for people. As we did with the tourist issues, next week we have an appointment to resolve this as well.

For lighting: The fact that you haven’t asked me about the garbage shows that there is no issue and that is very important. For the lights, we are replacing over 43,000 lights with LEDs and we are talking about a 60% saving. We will also see directly if a light bulb burns out and we will not wait for the citizen to tell us.

For playgrounds: We built ten new playgrounds and in total we have built 32 playgrounds and we will reach where we want in 3-4 years.

For asphalt pavements: We have asphalted 857 roads, with a budget of 40 million euros. in one term. This has never happened before. Asphalt had fallen on roads for many years. We found a municipality that had no machines to clean the wells, no lift to prune the trees, no bins.

For the table seats on the sidewalks: The legislative framework has changed and now the Municipality has the right to seal a store. Until now, we saw the offense and wrote it. But the penalty was far less than the financial benefit and so it continued. With the new law we have the right to seal and over 62 shops will be sealed for the table seats. If a shop systematically violates the law, we will seal them. It’s impossible not to allow the grandmother and the child to pass.

For cleanliness: We have done three things: 1) We got new plastic and metal bins, 2) we got new machines, presses, etc., 3) The whole service was reorganized. Now we are moving on to the submersible bins that will help collect the waste and give us space from the plastics. Submersible bins will be installed in 42 places.

For Dog parks: We’ve already done four, it’s going to be six soon, and we’ll keep adding.

For pocket parks: They have a value. They don’t change a city with them, but they improve it.

For the entrance of Plaka: We are moving forward, we have made all the decisions and we will do this project after July 20 because it will be required to close Vas. Amalias. In September, it will be finished, while the playground under the feet of the Acropolis will also be in Plaka, which will be unique.

Source: skai.gr