New 75 mln euro projects around the new Panathinaikos stadium in central Athens in the pipeline

With the big tender for the new Panathinaikos stadium underway, the Municipality of Athens is feverishly preparing for the two major accompanying projects worth 75 million euros that will complete the transformation of the Votanikos area.

The aim is that in 2026 the area, which today looks third-worldly, will have changed into a new urban center with a large proportion of greenery, modern infrastructures at the center of which the new Panathinaikos stadium will operate.

In the case of the stadium, the tender process proceeds with the aim, of course, of signing the contract. The first step was made with the disclosure of the scheme that will undertake the project. TERNA-AKTOR-MYTILINEOS, three of the largest companies in the construction sector, joined forces for this great sports infrastructure of the country.

Axiotis: The process is proceeding normally

The Deputy Mayor of Technical Works, Vassilis Axiotis, spoke on the matter on ypodomes.com where he said that “the tender process is progressing normally, the tender was successful. Three major technical companies are working together for the new home of Panathinaikos, something that makes us happy and certainly also the world of the club”.

At the procedural level, the first tender process proceeded with the selection of the trio as the bidder. Then there should be the second practice where the TERNA-AKTOR-MYTILINEOS scheme will be designated as a temporary contractor. This will be followed by the writing of the contract, its sending for approval to the Auditing Court and finally the solemn signing of the contract.

With it, the great dream of Panathinaikos fans will come true, while Athens and the country will be upgraded years further in its football infrastructure. The projects have as a milestone their completion in 2026. The financing of 123 million euros is covered by the Public Investment Program (115 million euros) and the Recovery Fund (8 million euros).

It is worth mentioning that an underground tunnel-passage has also been planned that will connect the “ELEONAS” Metro station of line 3 with the new stadium, providing better access to it. Also there is a plan for a pedestrian bridge that will serve the operation of the stadium.

The two new projects

But the Panathinaikos stadium project will be accompanied by two major projects that will drastically change the image of the area. As Mr. Axiotis reports on ypodomes.com, at this time the Municipality is preparing the two major tenders that complete the puzzle of the works for the Redevelopment of Votanikos. These projects will finally create a reliable and modern network of roads, sidewalks, drainage, electricity, greenery, etc.

This is the tender for the creation of basic infrastructure and road construction in the amount of 38 million euros (incl. VAT) and the tender for regeneration, greening and landscaping in the amount of 37 million euros (incl. VAT). There is also a fund of 20 million euros for the necessary property expropriations. The financing is covered by the Recovery Fund.

As he notes, the preparations for the two tenders are on time with the Recovery Fund schedule and the tenders will be announced in due course. The goal is the largest possible turnout of companies for the successful implementation of the projects. But what do the two new projects include?

What is included in the tenders for infrastructure and renovation projects

1. The first tender concerns the works of road construction, bicycle path and construction of rainwater and drainage networks, amounting to 38 million euros. In addition, an amount of 7 million euros has been included for expropriations (an amount independent of the tender). The projects to be executed include:

1.1. Road Construction Projects

In the wider area of Eleonas, the roads foreseen by the town planning study of the area have not been opened and individual acts of implementation have been approved. The overall intervention includes the construction of roads (subgrade and asphalt paving), the formation of curbs and street lighting. This specific sub-project includes the following maturity phases:

1. a) roads for immediate opening: refers to roads included in areas with sanctioned implementation acts.
2. b) Roads for opening under conditions: it concerns roads that are included in areas where the implementation acts have been sanctioned but the required expropriations/purchases of the due lands have not been completed.

This sub-project also includes the “Redevelopment of Iera Odos with a bicycle path”. Linear common areas of 20 m width are foreseen on both sides of the road axis, while the implementation of a bicycle path is also proposed. The section of Iera Odos within the Municipality is approximately 2,150 m. The intervention area is estimated at approximately 43,000 m2.

1.2. Rainwater and Sewerage Networks

The intervention area for rainwater infrastructure is north of St. Polykarpou, where the implementation operations have been completed. The required hydraulic works of the specific sub-project are divided into 

3 categories:

1. Stormwater network: the road network of sub-project 1 is accompanied by a lack of a stormwater management network. For this purpose sub-project 1 is inextricably linked to the construction of the rain network in the same intervention area.
2. Sewerage network: corresponding to the lack of a rainwater network, there is no sewerage network in the study area either. In order to undertake the implementation of the sewerage network in the area, the necessary consultation has been made with EYDAP.

3.Cleaning and restoration of Prophet Daniel’s stream : the specific section of the stream is demarcated according to Official Gazette 48/AAP/2009. The total length of the intervention is 400m, within the Double Redevelopment property.

Sub-project 2: Technical Assistance

For the maturation and completion of the studies and the tender documents, it is necessary to provide technical assistance for sub-project 1. The Technical Assistance services will also include the support of the Beneficiary during the tender process.

Subproject 3: Expropriations for road construction

The Municipality is liable for the compensation of the pending expropriations for the area of Eleonas in a total area of approximately 25 acres. Expropriations have arisen from 2 main categories:

Expropriations of Implementation Acts based on the sanctioned individual implementation acts in the area of Eleonas.

Expropriations of Double Redevelopment based on article 23 (case 2c) of Law 3983/2011, the properties within the Double Redevelopment project do not have an obligation to contribute land and money. Therefore, judicial or extrajudicial unit price determination procedures can proceed. In addition, the specific sub-project includes the drafting of a single implementation act for the rest of the Eleonas area.

Second project: The Public green areas of Double Regeneration

The second tender concerns the urban regeneration of the former industrial area of Votanikos / Eleonas and the landscaping and common areas projects. The amount of the competition reaches 37 million euros (with the fund for Technical Assistance). In addition, regardless of the tender, a fund of 13 million euros has been earmarked for expropriations.

In the framework of the approved Double Redevelopment program (Government Gazette 161/AAP/2013), the Municipality of Athens, as owner of the land, is responsible for the configuration of the common areas of the property. The configurations of the common areas are divided as follows:

Area a: Includes green areas and square configuration with a direct relationship and dependence on the configuration of entrances to the stadium and the Amateur PAO. It also includes the pedestrian street around the shopping center.

Area b (section): Includes the entrance-exit configuration from the side of Ieras Odos from / to the Eleonas metro station.

Area c: Includes configurations of greenery and recreational areas as well as configurations for soft sports activities. The area also includes sports facilities of the Municipality of Athens that can be built in a second phase from other resources. In addition, the contract also concerns the shaping projects of OTs 17, 22 and 31 with a total area of 93 acres.

Reconstruction of the Naval Fort

The second project also includes the reconstruction of the Naval Fort. The property is located within the area of Eleonas and north of Iera Odos. It has an area of approximately 110 acres and has been characterized as a green space in its entirety, with the exception of some existing buildings, as these were approved by defining a building line with the Presidential Decree of 2010 (Government Gazette 236/AAP/2010).

Sub-project 2: Common space and accessibility projects in the surrounding area of the football stadium of the Municipality of Athens in Eleonas

3.2. Public Double Redevelopment Green areas

The Sub-Project concerns the configurations of common space and accesses of the immediate surrounding area of the new football stadium of the Municipality of Athens in Eleonas.

In addition, it includes the E/M infrastructure and the rainwater network, pumping stations and tanks for firefighting and irrigation of the surrounding area, the supply and installation of lighting and a security and monitoring system, as well as the fencing of the field, the flooring, various building construction works and the equipment (benches, bins, signage, etc.) of the surrounding area.

Also, the sub-project also concerns the construction of the access road to and from level -1 of the Stadium facilities, which will start from St. Annis and moving in a direction from N/W to S/E ends at Prophet Daniel’s street, bridging the corresponding stream. The total length of the road is 400m. of which 230m. are Cut and Cover and its above ground part is part of the surrounding area of the field.

The timetable for their completion is much tighter than the stadium project. They should have been completed by the end of 2025, a period of completion of the implemented actions of the Recovery Fund.