Archaeological Council approves Cosco Master Plan for port of Piraeus, with exceptions
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The Central Archaeological Council (KAS) formally approved the Master Plan for Cosco-owned Port Authority of Piraeus (OLP) development plan late on Tuesday night, except for plans incolving a shopping mall, the location of a floating shiprepair dock and the full extent of a luxury hotel, because of antiquities concerns in the area.
- Following the opinion of the Ports Planning and Development (ESAL), KAS said the area scheduled to be turned into a large cruiseship passenger station in the south zone of the port of Piraeus, the largest Greek port, cannot also accomodate a large mall, nearly 24,000 sq.metres in surface area. (The area is the location of remains of the 4th-century BC reconstructed Long Walls connecting Athens to Piraeus, and Themistocles’ grave.)
A luxury hotel planned at Porto Leone, near the ruins of the Walls, must be lower in height and smaller in area, KAS advised. It also said that the Council for Modern Greek Monuments should decide on whether the designated modern monument of the Pagoda, or the Agios Nikolaos Passenger Station, could be turned into a hotel, as the Master Plan proposed.
- On Salamis Island, at the straits of which ancient Greeks faced and defeated the Persian navy in a landmark battle of the 5th century BC, the Council said the sites of Kynosoura and Ambelakia must be protected, and recommended that the current shipyards facing them across the way on the mainland be removed. In addition, the floating shiprepair dock envisaged by OLP off the islet of Psitalia should be placed elsewhere to avoid obscuring the archaeological sites.
The Council meeting was attended by the mayor of Piraeus and members of the city council, OLP representatives, and residents of the area. KAS said that the designation and delineation of the archaeological sites preceded its review of the Master Plan.
In a statement following the meeting, the Ministry of Culture said that “KAS reviewed only those investments related to its jurisdiction,” and “unanimously approved obligatory investments it reviewed that exclusiverly relate to port operations” and guarantee the observation of projects under archaeological supervision, as foreseen by law.
“The protection and exhibit of antiquities and of cultural heritage do not impede OLP’s investment plan and Piraeus’ economic development,” the ministry said; “on the contrary, they add a powerful value under viability and sustainability factors.”
Source: ANA-MPA
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