Construction works at the Ayia Napa marina have resumed after a forced break imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, with the final completion now scheduled for 2023, the project’s CEO Stavros Caramondanis told media representatives during a guided tour of the site on Wednesday.
After completing the construction of the main breakwater back in November 2019, the project has now entered its second phase, which will see the erection of two towers of over 100 metres in height, where 220 apartments will be housed.
Caramondanis said that the recent lockdown imposed by the government in Cyprus undoubtedly had an impact on the ongoing project.
“The pandemic unfortunately affected our operations,” he said. “Apart from the lockdown in Cyprus, we were also slowed down by restrictive measures imposed in other countries, such as Israel, Lebanon and Egypt, with whom we share several business operations regarding the marina.
“However, I can now confirm we are back at full speed with the construction works and that we received a lot of interest from boat owners in Cyprus who want to move their boats to our marina,” he said.
The marina now is partially operational, meaning vessels and yachts can be docked in wet and dry storage. The commercial area, on the other hand, is still under construction and will only open to the public towards the beginning of 2021.
“This part of the project covers more than 4000 square metres, with provision for restaurants and cafes, commercial shops, and parking capacity for over 550 vehicles,” Caramondanis added.
The marina will accommodate its own events centre, nautical equipment store, crew dining and entertainment areas, as well as its own gym, yacht club and beach clubs.
“Like we anticipated when we started this project, there is huge interest from retailers and from food and beverage companies in our commercial area due do its superb location and modern facilities,” Caramondanis said.
He added that the interest in the commercial area from big companies would eventually boost the local economy and create new jobs.
The project’s second phase also includes the construction of 35 luxury villas, 11 of which are situated on the development’s West coast, 12 on the Marina Peninsula and 12 on the artificial island, each offering direct access to private docks.
“There is a lot of interest in the villas,” said the marina’s director Constantinos Phitiris.
“Five have already been sold, while other potential buyers, mainly from the Middle East and from Russia, have expressed their intention to buy after the completion of the entire project, so that they will be able to enjoy their new properties immediately.”