Nicosia municipality adopts old city upgrade plan

Nicosia municipality said on Monday it had adopted an agreement for the relocation of a university department to the Phaneromeni school which is part of plans for the redevelopment and revival of the old part of the town.

The capital’s municipal council last Friday adopted the memorandum of understanding (MoU) the local authority signed with the finance ministry, the archbishopric and the University of Cyprus. The MoU connects the redevelopment and revival of the Nicosia area within the walls.

The purpose of the memorandum, the municipality said, is to establish and develop cooperation between the parties for to implement ways of developing the old city.

Among other things, the draft memorandum provides for the relocation of the University of Cyprus’ Architecture Department to the building of Phaneromeni school.

It also provides for turning suitable buildings in the area owned by the archbishopric or others, in cooperation the municipality and the university, into student dormitories, university faculties or for other educational and research functions.

The agreement also provides for the connection of the historic centre of Nicosia with the premises of the university on Kallipoleos Avenue and the University Campus in Aglandjia, through the expansion of the network of the municipality’s small buses.

A working group will be set up which will include representatives of the finance ministry, the directorate general for European programmes, coordination and development, the municpality’s department of urban planning and housing, the University of Cyprus and the achbishopric.

“The working group will prepare a detailed action plan, which will include the actions and the implementation schedule of the memorandum,” the municipality said.

“The transfer of university faculties and the creation of student dormitories in the old town has been a long-standing request of the Nicosia municipalityto the competent ministries,” it added.

No definite date has been given about the relocation of the university department to the Phaneromeni school but stakeholders said it will not be until after extensive renovation and upgrading of the 19th century building including works to earthquake-proof it.

The 120 pupils currently studying there, primary and lower secondary education, are to be sent to other schools in the area which would be upgraded for that purpose.

Education Minister Prodromos Prodromou said on Friday he did not yet know when the pupils had to vacate the building.