HUGE works are under way in Zakaki on the outskirts of Limassol, with the previously underdeveloped area transforming into a rapid development zone, scheduled to host a 30,000 square metre shopping mall, the first licensed golf course in Limassol, as well as an accompanying residential development and resort.
A new motorway link has been approved to connect the area, the mall and golf course with the existing motorway
Construction company Atlas Pantou has begun work on the site of Tiffany Mall, which is under the ownership of Tifanny Investment Ltd, headquartered in Limassol. The completion of the project is scheduled for August 2008.
The mall will comprise a retail area of over 23,000 square metres and feature 150 shops, an ice-skating ring, internet caf?, bank, kids’ play space, electronic arcade, as well as a selection of caf?s, restaurants and fast food chains.
“We believe that the mall’s contribution to the economy of Cyprus and not just that of Limassol is multifold, since it is one of the largest investments in retailing ever made in Cyprus, creating some 1,000 new jobs,” said Dimitris Krikellis, Marketing Manager at Tifanny Investments Ltd.
Five minutes away from Tifanny Mall, near Trachoni village, is the site of the proposed Limassol golf club and resort, the first such project to obtain a town planning licence in the district. This project is under the ownership of the same consortium of companies as Aphrodite Hills in Paphos.
The project includes an 18-hole golf course, club house, leisure and spa facilities, private villa complex and business centre. A golf development property, Sunset Springs, will accompany the golf course. Sunset Springs will comprise 112 one- and two-bedroom apartments, five communal swimming pools, tennis court, gym, spa and mini-market.
The creation of more golf courses is a top priority of the strategic plan for tourism 2003-2010, with golf courses expected to attract more “high-quality” tourism to the island. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism estimates that a total of 14 courses will be constructed in Cyprus by 2010: seven in Paphos, three in Limassol, two in Larnaca and two in Famagusta.
Despite the obvious economic benefits, environmental organisations have repeatedly voiced their objection to the golf courses, due to their intense demand for water, a scarce resource in Cyprus.
Limassol-based environmental organisation Terra Cypria is opposed to the creation of more golf courses, pointing out the adverse impacts to the environment, which include: higher demand on water, pollution of surface and underground water resources, destruction of habitats, erosion of natural landscape, desertification, as well as the contamination of crops by genetically modified grass that is sometimes used in golf courses.
