Doukas for Botaniko: “We have done 100m. and there is a marathon ahead that we have to finish with a sprint”

With… raw realism about the delays that have occurred in the steps needed to get his stadium on track Panathinaikou Botanikos was spoken by Harry Doukas. The mayor of Athens, at today’s Council of the Municipality, described the situation, referred to the reasons why the project “stuck” and emphasized that there is a marathon ahead which the parties involved should hurry to get out with… sprint. Anyway appeared optimistic that with the appropriate interventions the obstacles will be overcome and the project will be done and will give life to all of Athens and of course to the club.

In detail, the mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas spoke about:

-the issue of financing: “It was up in the air, there was only a pre-approval. The crucial integration in 2021-2025 has taken place. The relevant invitation was made now, two years later. We have submitted a file and are awaiting final approval from the Minister of the Environment. If we did the work, there was no money, the program was not approved.”

-decontamination works: “Since 2009, the plot has been filled with garbage and rubble. A contract was awarded for the decontamination, but the money was not sufficient. The area was not cleaned. There was a need for extra funds. Decontamination must be done for the joint venture to proceed. Now this problem is solved. For the field site, the previous contractor was pushing rubble onto the field site. The rubble must be cleared and then the excavation done. We secured the necessary funds. We are waiting for the ministerial decision to make a supplementary contract. The consortium will undertake this as well as the construction. In a short time, rubble will be a thing of the past. The tasks are neither simple nor easy.”

– the building permit: “There is no approved, revised one. There is no. We unblocked the topic of the surveyor and it was uploaded to the special platform. We are trying to resolve the issues. There is an issue we are struggling with, there are enough buildings on the plot to demolish them as well. All this requires systematic work. Legislative intervention was also needed. We also have a legal map to get the license as soon as possible. It looks like a storm, but we’ll make it. A necessary condition for the permit to be issued is to have a demolition permit. They must come out at the same time. But be careful here. Huge! The demolition permit will simply be issued, it will not be implemented until the stadium is built in Botanikos and the operating permit is issued. Only then will Leoforos be demolished, when Panathinaikos enters Votanikos to play the first game.”

– the contracts: “There are 115 million euros secured. And five more. And three for a footbridge. Contracts are needed for the green and also for the road construction. The area is not ready, there is nothing. A lot of work needs to be done, helping the wider change of Eleonas. We held a competition for greenery and road construction. These projects will be a catalyst. The stadium is excellent for Panathinaikos but also for the area of ​​Eleonas. The case is on track.”

– the technical advisors: “It takes two. One for the stadium and one for the infrastructure works. We didn’t have them available. One was found, the other is in progress.”

-land properties: “There are still scattered plots in the area that do not belong to the municipality. Twenty-four acres. They do not currently prevent the issuance of a building permit. There was a decision to buy but we are still far behind. Regarding expropriations, there is a non-existent budget. That’s five incomplete lists to understand the progress of acquisitions. They are numerous, 26 plots. Total in the whole area is 80, close to 130 acres. Undone work suffocates the project. They all make superhuman efforts. We do important work, we make appointments. So far we have reached compromises with 12. It is obvious that it is an emblematic project.

– the progress of the project: “It is very important that preliminary work was done and we are in this position now. We have done 100 meters and there is a marathon in front of us that we have to finish with a sprint. The project lacked breath. I have to say that with a lot of effort, ten interventions, we have completed the project. I don’t want to go into any more details. I’m not interested in going into analysis. I don’t want there to be a source of delay. We have what it takes to deliver the new jewel stadium. When we take a breather, when we enter the construction site, we will talk about the new landmark and many other things.”