Plans for new mall at Thessaloniki’s Central Railway Station

Following the developments regarding the construction of a brand new mall in Piraeus Central Railway Station, GAIAOSE seems to have corresponding plans for Thessaloniki. According to the report of Ypodomes.com, the Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Thanasis Schizas, recently commissioned the Urban Design and the Environmental Impact Studies for the prospective project.

The building will be built on top of the passengers’ station and along the platforms in an area of ​​approximately 100,000 sq.m. It will be one of the largest shopping centers in the city, just 1.5 km away from the, centermost landmark, Aristotelous Square. The investment is estimated at 100mn euros, making it the most important private infrastructure project, the city has seen in years.

As Mr. Schizas said, the investment will be considerable and will involve the development of multipurpose commercial spaces. A crucial element is the creation of a sizeable parking space, for 800 vehicles, in an area with intense shortage of parking spaces. This week, the project is set in motion starting with the public consultation process, engaging all stakeholders in a discussion aiming to form the necessary consensus. The creation of the new mall is expected to bring more than 1,500 jobs and create a new green spaces at the side and the back of its facilities.

The completion of the Urban Planning Study is expected to be completed in the second half of 2018, allowing the concession tender to be launched shortly after. The concession period is currently estimated at around 30 years, but this is yet to be decided. According to rough estimates, the project will take about 2 years to be completed and if the works begin in 2019, then in 2021, a transformed Central Railway Station will open its gates, along with the operation of the new Metro system.

Nikos Karagiannis-ypodomes.com

Follow Nikos Karagiannis on Twitter