Votanikos urban regeneration project in central Athens is speeding up – 225 mln euro tenders to go live shortly

The announcement for the construction of the new Panathinaikos stadium in Votanikos is now a matter of days. According to the deputy mayor of Technical Works of the Municipality of Athens, Vassilis Axiotis, everything has been set in motion and now all that remains is to publicize the tender. At the same time, the double tender for the regeneration projects in the area of ​​100 million euros is being prepared.

As reported by ypodomes.com, the project for the stadium costs 125 million euros and the submission of the files by the technical companies will take place in a period of 55 days, that is, sometime in January 2023. Of this money, 115 million euros concern the stadium and the other two important accompanying projects:

-The first project concerns a pedestrian bridge that will be built, to “connect” the football field with the platform of the visiting fans and will concern 3% of the total cost, i.e. 3,750,000 euros.

-The second project concerns a small undergrounding that will be done as an accompanying project, next to the Metro (“Elaionas” Station) in order to facilitate access to the football field. This will concern 5% of the total cost, i.e. 6,250,000 euros.

After all, as ypodomes.com reported a few days ago, the environmental conditions have been approved, a key point for the implementation of this large sports infrastructure.

In the preparation of the project, as noted by Mr. Axiotis, there was excellent cooperation with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport for the study of traffic impacts as well as the amendment of the EIS.

Funding for the new Panathinaikos stadium comes from two parties. For the 115 million euros resources of the Public Investment Program have been reserved and for the additional 10 million euros there is approved financing from the Recovery Fund.

Study-construction with a duration of 36 months

The project will be done with the study-build method. It will be based on the existing study prepared by Panathinaikos while the building permit is in effect.

This means that with the assignment and contracting of the project, the contractor will immediately get to work as all that will be needed is any amendment required to the existing building permit.

The stadium’s construction time, as noted by Mr. Axiotis, is 36 months. “The big goal is to inaugurate the stadium in time for the Panathinaikos team to be able to play at its new headquarters in the period 2026-2027,” he says characteristically.

The aim of the competition is to attract the interest of large technical companies within and outside the borders. The Deputy Mayor is particularly optimistic and as he says “we believe that many companies will be present and we will have the largest possible participation. With this project, Athens joins the club of European cities with state-of-the-art stadiums”.

The renovation projects

The Municipality of Athens is simultaneously running the double tender for the infrastructure and regeneration projects in the area of ​​100 million euros. These projects will finally create a reliable and modern network of roads, sidewalks, drainage, electricity, etc.

The two projects have been included in the Recovery Fund by the Deputy Minister of Finance, Theodore Skylakakis since the Spring. The projects are part of the “Strategic Urban Renewals” action. The aim of the Municipality is for the notices of the two projects to be published in November and for the contracts to be signed by the summer of 2023.

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.

What is included in 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 33 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:

a) roads for immediate opening: refers to roads included in areas with sanctioned implementation acts.
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 designed on both sides of the road axis, while the implementation of a bicycle path is also proposed. The section of the 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 Ag. Polykarpou street 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. Stream cleaning and restoration of Prof. Daniel: 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.

The Shared Greenery of Double Regenation

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 42 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 a 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. Shared Double Redevelopment Greenery

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 Prophitou Daniil street, bridging the corresponding stream. The total length of the road is 400m. of which 230m., is Cut and Cover and its above ground part is part of the surrounding area of ​​the field.