Larnaca Municipality is working on an alternative plan to house the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens after delays in declassifying state forest land at the city centre site the university wants for its Psychology and Maritime schools.
The historic university, which will begin offering programmes in autumn 2026, wants the Multipurpose Social Welfare and Employment Centre in the city centre, but the building sits on state forest land and legislation does not provide for transferring forest land to university institutions.
The municipality is now considering offering the former Oroklini Community Council building to the Athens institution, though the National Technical University of Athens also wants that site, Larnaca mayor Andreas Vyras told Phileleftheros.
“We requested zoning changes from the Town Planning Department for both the former Oroklini Community Council and the Multipurpose Social Welfare and Employment Centre until the state forest land issue is resolved,” Vyras said, adding that both buildings should be designated as university facilities.
“We will continue trying for declassification of the land at the former community centre,” he added, noting a meeting will be requested with the Education Minister on the issue.
The municipality and MPs have repeatedly requested declassification of the plot.
Contacts continue with the National Technical University of Athens and the University of Thessaly, which announced its branch headquarters will be in Athienou but wants some of its schools in Larnaca city.
Planning is also underway for the first student halls, which will be undertaken by the Nikos and Despoina Pattichis Foundation and built by the municipality on the foundation’s land plot on Pavlos Valdaseridi Street near the city centre.
Vyras said tenders for finding a consultant for the halls will be announced within this month. The halls are intended for students of TEPAK’s School of Marine Sciences, Technology and Sustainable Development, which will be created in the Mackenzie area.