In a joint approach of the ministry with the recommendations of the ad hoc committee of Larnaca, the decisions on the expansion of the marina and the port of the city will be taken at a later stage after a relevant expert study, the minister said. These decisions were taken after the termination of the €1.2 billion joint development contract by the Kition Ocean Holdings consortium on May 27, marking the third failure of the whole effort following earlier attempts in 2010 and 2015. “The termination of the contract should not deprive the city of Larnaca of the projects and our decisions on the next steps must take into account the fastest possible implementation of the projects,” Vafeades told a press conference.

Regarding the maintenance and upgrading of the marina, works will be carried out for the dredging of the 25,000 sq. metre marine area at the marina’s entrance, as well as maintenance works within the marine zone. Works will also be done to maintain a dock and the creation of a new area for boat maintenance. Fencing will also be removed for the construction of the Larnaca Yacht Club. At the yacht club due, there will be offices for marina management, state services and recreational facilities for the public. “It will become a public recreational space for people and offer services for marina users,” he said about the hybrid space.

Commenting on the yacht club, Vafeades said: “It will potentially be an emblematic building for Larnaca and for its design an architectural competition will be announced in an accelerated procedure, in a way that will not burden the project in terms of time. It should be a landmark building, as it will mark a main gateway to the Republic of Cyprus.” Works will also be carried out to create a park and green spaces for public use.

Vafeades said the value of the works is estimated at €25-30 million, plus VAT, with the ministry acting as the contracting authority, either exclusively or in cooperation with the municipality, depending on the municipality’s ability to carry out the specific individual works.

On the timeframe, Vafeades said that the works for the maintenance and upgrading of the marina are expected to be completed around September 2026, compared to March 2027, which was Kition’s schedule. The construction of the Yacht Club is due to be completed in December 2027, compared to February 2027, while the landscaping of the park and green areas are expected to be completed by September 2026, compared to March 2027, which was the date set by Kition.

Regarding the issue of the delivery of the studies carried out by Kition for these projects, Vafeades said that the issue has not yet been clarified. “We expect that this will be clarified very soon and that they will transfer to us – as they have transferred the equipment to the state, which under the contract should be transferred,” he said. He added that the studies along with the equipment are also an asset of the state. “If the company does not cooperate, we will handle it accordingly,” he said. 

In addition, Vafeades said that the ministry and the ad hoc committee have a common approach that decisions on the expansion of the marina and port can be taken after an expert study, while the development needs of the port should be assessed in conjunction with the expansion of the port in Vasilikos. According to the minister, their development will be carried out through a public-private sector contract process, while interest from investors, both in Cyprus and abroad, will first be explored through a short consultation process, which is not expected to last more than three months, and then a study will be commissioned.

The approach to the port of Larnaca should remain as a passenger port to serve the cruise tourism market. “The needs of the state need to be reassessed, to see where we are after 20 years, we need to reassess what the country needs today, what the state needs, what services, what infrastructure and then decisions can be taken. That is why we say that we are separating the two, to give time to study both separately so that they can be implemented separately and operate in a way that serves not only Larnaca but also the needs of the country,” he said.

Vafeades added that tenders have already been launched for the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan at a cost of about €18 million with a completion horizon of 2026, while the interior ministry will study the possibility of speeding up the design and construction of the Panagouli Avenue extension, which will allow the faster development of the northern part of Larnaca.