“Thessaloniki is changing its face and I believe that this is one of the reasons why it is gaining its own distinct development dynamics,” said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, visiting the former “Pavlos Melas” army camp, which is being transformed into a metropolitan park.
The Prime Minister referred to the infrastructure, culture, innovation projects that are being implemented and to significant Greek and foreign investments by large companies, which show the development dynamics of the city and the wider region.
Specifically for the metropolitan park, the Prime Minister, after being informed by the mayor of Pavlos Melas township, Dimitris Demourtzidis, about the studies that have been implemented and others that are in progress, said: “I am very satisfied. In general, we go from the announcements, what we will do, to projects that are done “.
Mr. Mitsotakis referred to the fact that the contracts are implemented within a schedule, emphasizing that such spaces must be utilized, but also be sustainable, in order to avoid phenomena of works, which, after being built, were finally abandoned, because they could not be maintained.
“We came up with a development model that serves the needs of the municipality, the citizens, the local community. “Something very beautiful will happen here”, said Mr. Mitsotakis.
The Prime Minister pointed out the development perspective of the metropolitan park, referring to the green and recreational areas, the cultural heritage with the renovation of the buildings inside the camp, while he also mentioned the historical dimension that will be given with the creation of the Museum of National Resistance of Hellenism.
The mayor of Pavlos Melas informed the prime minister about the area of 34 hectares, the configuration of which will be completed in 2023 and for the A2 building that is going to auction, with a deadline for it to be ready in 2024, as well as for the studies of other buildings that continue, and thanked him for the “smooth flow of funding”.
The governor of Central Macedonia Apostolos Tzitzikostas said that it will be the largest metropolitan park in northern Greece, with the most urban green and recreational areas in Eastern Europe, while the Deputy Minister of Interior (Macedonia – Thrace) Stavros Kalafatis stressed that the park will become a focal point for the city and will change its developmental and cultural physiognomy.
Mr. Mitsotakis agreed with the local bodies that stated that the upgrade of the specific area can be followed as a model for the development, for the benefit of local communities and other former camps.
The prime minister inspected the ongoing works on the site of the former camp and one of the buildings that will be rebuilt and left to visit the Aliakmonas bridge and other works in the city.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Interior (Macedonia-Thrace) Stavros Kalafatis, the Regional Governor Apostolos Tzitzikostas, while he was welcomed by MPs, the Metropolitan of Naples and Stavroupolis Mr. Barnabas, local government officials and officials.
