George Moulos takes a look at what the Athens Riviera plans to be, what it currently is and what it could be best case scenario on the Grenglish podcast. #megaprojects #construction #engineering
The goal of the area on 11:25 was to make the road underground and have parks above it to reduce the noise to the houses and make them more connected to the beach (you mentioned about making the road underground). I doupt it'll ever happen though.
Your analysis of what's happening overall is naive and reminds me of the simplistic way of thinking of 14-year-olds. You clearly haven't searched the story enough. Let me explain you some things, pal: The Hellinikon Project is a complex and multifarious development, featuring both a tourism-related, as well as non-tourism-related aspect. For example some of the main projects of the development that are not tourism-related: 1) In all 3 phases, around 20,000 new homes (high-end, upper-middle, and middle-class customers) will be built (Riviera Tower, Little Athens Neighborhood, Cove Residences, etc); around 3,000-5,000 of them will be built in the first phase (most homes of phase one have already been pre-sold to approx 90% Greeks, 10% Foreigners) 2) The biggest mall in Greece (200,000 GLA) is Vouliagmenis Mall. 3) A huge public park, one of the largest (if not the largest) urban parks in Europe, comprised of urban forests, large open spaces, leisure and sports facilities, etc. 4) A huge sports center to become a hub for professional as well as nonprofessional Athletes in the region 5) Private Schools (so far 2 have been announced, by the leading private education players in Greece) and Universities (TBA) 6) a huge hospital and Health Clinic The Hellinikon Project is a game changer for Athens overall, it will greatly upgrade the quality of living in the city for obvious reasons, and last but not least it is a strong positive catalyst for the whole county's economy. (GDP growth contribution 2.6%, a staggering number for a single investment) As per the Athens Riviera argument, you are also wrong pal: In the last 3-4 years a trend has been created for the capitalization of the Athenian seafront as a source of strategic advantage and the utilization of the coastal area, starting from Pireaus and finishing in the temple of Zeus, in Sounio. We are in the early stages of this megacycle for Athens, but there is clearly strong momentum, driven by huge investment by the private sector, as well as some moves from the slower public sector. Hellinikon (an 8 BILLION investment), is at the forefront of this megacycle, I won't get into detail about what tourism projects are included in the development, check them for yourself, but we are talking about world-class level, ultra-luxury ones. Besides Hellinikon, let me remind you that almost ALL the top 10 luxury hotel brands in the world are now positioning themselves in the coastal area of Athens (Four Seasons opened 6 years ago in Vouliagmeni, One and Only in Glyfada, which opened this year, Mandarin Oriental which will be built in Hellinikon). Also, other notable game-changing investments include: -A new Marina for mega yachts has been built in Vouliagmeni, featuring a boutique mall with ultra-luxury brands (check: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gk7ApiWGXbU.html) -The regeneration and upgrade of Marina Alimou, which will be modernized with some 30,000 sqm of new land construction featuring hotels, leisure, and commerce activities. (check: newsbulletin247.com/opinion/43332.html) -The large plot in Faliro Bay you showed in the video with trash and other stuff, will be revitalized and turned into a large park, via a huge public investment of over 300m. There have already been invested 150m for the partial undergrounding of the highway you showed. Construction, after indeed many years of inactiveness will commence soon, as the government recently secured funding from the EU. (check: www.powergame.gr/akinita/552085/falirikos-ormos-xekina-i-v-fasi-tis-anaplasis/) -Saronida Project, an ultra-large scale real estate development, featuring villas, apartment complexes, hotels, etc (like a smaller version of Hellinikon), investment exceeding 1 billion. (check: www.vitadevelopment.gr/en/projects/saronida-project) -Many additional large-scale investments are currently being in progress or in final planning, totaling billions (Piraeus Tower, Dimands' 3V complex, Papastratos Complex, metro line expansion to Glyfada, Attiki Odos Motorway expansion to the south via Peripheriaki Imitoy, etc). All the above as I said have started a mega trend for Athens, in which the coastal area is completely transformed, thus YES creating a Riviera-type situation (given the type of investments taking place). Obviously, we are in the early stages of this, but the direction is crystal clear, and the speed of progression is unprecedented.
the word riviera is italian and means simply coast...it has not such prestigious meaning....it's simply a costal area. You compare public projects like metro with a private project...all we know that greek public is not able to do anything but privates are diffrent. look at niarchos foundation...its finished since years but faliro is still in progress...You are confusing public greek with private
Good point. The comparison is on purpose. If we find that the public sector is wildly incompetent at projects, which it wildly is, then they should contract the work out. The best train systems in Europe are in Spain, Italy, Germany and France and they have private train corporations. Greece has a long history of nepotistic and corrupt governments trying to build stuff and doing a bad job. The private sector evidently can get it done when the public sector cannot
