THE ISLAND’S first and only dedicated dog walking beach in Ayia Napa is to make way for a 600 berth Marina and entertainment complex.
Ayia Napa mayor Antonis Tsokkos confirmed yesterday that the beach will be relocated when construction begins on the new marina.
Asked about the move, Tsokkis said, “This was only ever a temporary dog beach while we looked for a more permanent location.”
The marina was first proposed in 2003 – long before the dog beach was designated. It will be a Built-Operated Transfer (BOT) operation, overseen by a consortium of contracted parties.
The final set up and facilities have not been confirmed yet, as the consortium is still in the planning stage. However, Tsokkos expects that in addition to a 600 boat dock, there will be a restaurant, bowling alley, Olympic-sized swimming pool and a cinema complex.
“The consortium has until January 2010 to finalise their plans. No plans have been made public yet, or even made available to me, but this is what I am expecting.”
He expects that construction will begin mid-summer in 2010 and will take just over two years to complete. He confirmed that dog walkers will be able to use the beach until then. “There will definitely be a designated dog walking beach somewhere and we in the process of identifying the best one.”
This will be reassuring news for the many local dog owners in Ayia Napa. The issues of dogs on beaches came to the fore in June last year, when a man and his dog were murdered for walking on the beach. Following an altercation, Zacharias Christodoulou, 64, from Neo Chorio, ran over Constantinos Anakatos, 50 and his dog, killing both instantly. Christodoulou was convicted of murder in February this year.
It is hoped that the new marina will provide a boost to Ayia Napa’s tourist infrastructure and revenue, after August 2009 tourism figures show island wide tourist arrivals down by 11.1 per cent and revenues down by 15.6 per cent.
Loizos Shiakallis, Vice President at the Famagusta Chamber of Commerce, who is presiding over the Consortium, said yesterday “There will be a lot of auxiliary entertainment, not just for people coming in on the boats.” Asked about the timing of the project, he said “There have been some town planning and administrative issues to resolve, for example with access roads and buying land. I think that we will begin building within a year.”
Tsokkis added “The Ayia Napa municipality shows a great interest, and has played an active role in this project. (This) infrastructure will have positive effects on many aspects of life and the economics of the area. It will draw in not just European tourists, but also Russians and Syrians, for example.”
