Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades on Wednesday said that the evaluation of bids for the deepening of the Larnaca marina is currently under way, with work expected to begin soon.

He also announced that the agreement for the port and marina masterplan study will be signed within May with Greece’s Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF).

“In early August last year, it was announced that renovation and deepening works would take place at the Larnaca marina,” Vafeades told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA).

“The Council of Ministers approved a sum of €1.5 million for these works,” he continued. “We issued a call for tenders for the deepening project, received the bids, and are now evaluating them. Very soon, the project will be awarded and we will see work taking place within the marina.”

Moreover, the minister said that funds were also allocated for the renovation of the marina, which had seen structural deterioration due to years of neglect.

“Repairs to the damaged infrastructure will commence shortly,” he said.

“This is the first project we promised, and it is moving forward,” he added. “We will soon see construction crews entering the marina to carry out the specified works.”

Speaking about the competition for the construction of the Larnaca Nautical Club (Yacht Club) building, Vafeades said that the Larnaca municipality had requested to take over the process.

“We agreed, as there is very good cooperation with the municipality,” he said.

“In November last year, €240,000 was allocated for the project. However, in order to implement the tender, the municipality must follow all legal procedures, including conducting a feasibility study, as required by law.”

He stressed that neither the municipality nor the ministry had any intention of bypassing the law.

“In communication with the Larnaca mayor [Andreas Vyras], I told him that we will provide assistance if there are additional costs,” said Vafeades.

The minister expressed urgency about the timeline. “We are eager to see this competition completed as soon as possible so that we can proceed to the next stage, which is the construction of the project,” he said.

Meanwhile, in a recent meeting attended by the Scientific and Technical Chamber of Cyprus (Etek) and the evaluation committee, a decision was taken to relocate the Nautical Club building.

The new location will integrate the structure with Europe Square.

“This will breathe new life into Larnaca’s city centre,” said the minister.

“That is why we want the project to proceed as quickly as possible, because it will completely transform the heart of the city,” he added.

Regarding the construction itself, the minister said that various financing options were discussed with mayor Vyras.

The mayor rejected the public-private partnership model, which left the “Design and Build” method as the only viable path.

However, the mayor reportedly stated that the municipality lacked the necessary expertise to implement the project using this method.

“Because we always aim to provide solutions, the public works department, which has extensive experience with such projects, has stepped in and will implement it as a matter of priority,” said Vafeades.

“That means once the tender is completed, the public works department will begin execution immediately,” he added. “What we promised the Larnaca municipality is now taking a real and tangible course forward and is being implemented.”

On the broader port and marina development, Vafeades said that “we all want this project to materialise and we want to be certain of what we are implementing”.

“Given the serious issues and setbacks we faced in the past, when decisions may have been taken faster than they should have, our current actions must be careful and taken in collaboration with local stakeholders, based on well-researched studies,” he stated.

Furthermore, he confirmed that the signing of the agreement for the masterplan study with the HRADF is expected within May.

“This step will also set in motion this important part of the process,” he said.

Vafeades emphasised that “all works in Larnaca, and especially at the port and marina, are being carried out in full consultation with local authorities, MPs, and all city officials involved in the ad hoc committee.”

“Our goal is shared,” the minister mentioned.

“And that is none other than the completion of the project, as we all envision it, for the good of the city and future generations,” he added.

However, he also pointed to a critical issue that, in his words, “was not recognised.”

“We were forced to terminate a contract, because that is what the agreement required,” he explained.

“But at the same time, we ensured that the port did not cease operations for even a single minute,” he continued. “We immediately took over its management, all work continued, and today the situation has stabilised.”

“There may be a few minor issues, but a major contract was terminated without any disruption, and most of the personnel continue to be employed at the port,” Vafeades stated. “We successfully managed a very difficult situation, particularly in relation to port operations.”

The mininister also said that “we are moving to bring the project back on track in line with the implementation plan agreed with the local community”.

“This is the message we want to send: that we are moving forward with what was agreed, taking steady steps to implement everything necessary so that the project proceeds without further setbacks,” he added.

“Our intention is to move forward and implement works for the good of the city and future generations,” the minister concluded.