New major PPP building project for Thrace University, under planning

Another large-scale PPP project is being currently designed, this time by Democritus University of Thrace. According to information of ypodomes.com, the Senate of Democritus University unanimously decided to approve the submission of a proposal for the construction of student dorms as well as other educational, research facilities of DUTH as a PPP project.

The cost of the project is 105m euros (incl. VAT). It is a large complex of building projects including: student dorms, university residences, a new central library, a research center and various other buildings.

The proposal was forwarded for approval to the General Secretariat of PPPs and Strategic Investments. According to secure information of ypodomes.com, approvals will not be delayed and the goal is to get to auction in the summer.

As Mrs. Maria Michalopoulou, Vice President of Research and Lifelong Learning commented at ypodomes.com, noted, the choice of PPPs was essentially a no brainer.

“Although we have an important range of works in progress, we had to go to something different because of the size of the university’s needs, which we examined with the Rector, Mr. Alexander Polychronides and Vice President for Economic Planning Mr. Fotis Maris and realized that there are no mature studies for these projects. It would take several years for all these projects to be able to be implemented”, she noted.

The scope of the projects

The University of Thrace is ‘spread’ across 4 cities, which means that there are need for the creation of infrastructure in different areas, at the same time. The scope of this new large-scale PPP project is detailed by city:

Alexandroupolis: 4 student dorms (12,194,34 sq.m. for 350 people), a student dining area (3,776,75 sq.m. for 1,500 people) and university residences (12 spaces for at least 4 people, 1,440 sq.m.).

Komotini: 2 student dorms (9,667.36 sq.m. indoor spaces and 3,551,8 sq.m. of outdoor spaces for 350 people), a student dining area (6,000 sq.m. for 2,500 students), a hostel (660 sq.m. for 28 people), university residences (24 residences with blocks of 4 residences, 2,880 s.qm). The construction of a new central library, a reading room and a multi-purpose facility (i.e. one main building covering a surface of 6,000 sq.m. and 17,000 sq.m. in total).

Xanthi: Research Center of Excellence (1 main building with laboratories and research centers, covering 10,000 sq.m. of indoor spaces and 5,000 sq.m. of outdoor spaces).

A project of great added value

A project of this size in Thrace region will have a major impact on the local economy. The fact that there will be construction works in three cities at the same time is expected to revitalize the construction industry and give employment to many companies. It is worth mentioning that it will be the largest building complex, constructed as a PPP in Thrace in many years.

For the wider technical sector, this project means a big relief for the country’s major technical companies that have been experiencing a prolonged ‘drought’.

As noted by the Democritus University of Thrace, “Planning for the sustainable development of DUTH in the immediate future is expected to be a pillar of a new development model in the region and an important part of its history”.