Demolition of condemned Latsia apartment blocks set to begin

A contract was signed on Tuesday for the demolition of five condemned apartment blocks in the refugee estates in Latsia.

They will be demolished within the scope of the government’s Ktizo scheme for those living in dangerous refugee housing units, and are the first to be demolished as part of the scheme.

New apartment buildings will subsequently be built within the same area, in which the condemned buildings’ former residents will live.

The contract signed is worth €86,600 plus VAT. It was signed by Town Planning Department Director Kyriakos Koundouros and Metaxotos Ltd & Sandworks (Ormidia) Ltd JV directors Panagiotis Nikiforou and Giorgos Georgiou.

The announcement of the buildings’ impending demolition was initially made in September, after Latsia Mayor Christos Pittaras had earlier told the House refugees committee he could “not rule out” involving the police should people refuse to move out of the buildings.

Meanwhile, the Town Planning Department is preparing to put out tenders for the demolition of 15 other buildings which have been deemed “immediately dangerous” and are currently being evacuated.

The buildings are located in Strovolos, Deftera, Aglandjia and Kato Polemidia.