07.11.2022
There is a significant increase in the availability of student residences in the old city of Nicosia, with 25 applications for 315 rooms.
Notably, all bids – both from businesses and individuals – are focused on existing buildings that are due to be refurbished or converted into student residences, after the government announced millions of euros for such work.
This is due to the fact that the Faneromeni School in the old town has been transformed into the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Cyprus, and the nearby Science and Innovation Center of Excellence has again brought attention to the student residence in the area.
Eirini Hadjisawa from the city planning department said current applications and those pending in the next round – after January – will likely mean 560 student rooms will be in operation.
It is estimated that the Faculty of Architecture will need about 200 of these rooms, meaning that an additional 360 or so rooms will be freed up for other students across the board.
At the moment, applications range from 42-room, 22- and even 12-room. One application for about 8-9 rooms was rejected because it did not meet all the criteria.
Hadjisawva also said that every effort is being made to make the application process as easy as possible, but there are some delays due to security issues requiring the fire department to be involved. You should also consult with the department of antiquities.
She explained that some applications require improvements, while others are sent for licensing. Hadjisavva said that before applying for a grant, many conditions must be met, such as obtaining a building permit, applications from developers, and so on.
The city planner also clarified that the current round of applications is closed as efforts are underway to upgrade and restart the program as it has run into some issues.
It is clear that some of the places that were considered ideal for student accommodation did not meet the requirements of the current program. For example, some of them belong to companies that were not considered eligible to participate in the current application round.
According to her, the likely restart will take place in January and will last longer.
The mayor of Nicosia and the interior ministry announced the student housing scheme earlier this year, saying that planning and other incentives will be provided to establish student housing in the area and speed up walled city development procedures.
It was announced at the time that part of the plan was to purchase two properties, one on Aristeidou Street and a building complex at the junction of Voulgaroktonou-Arsinois-Komnenou Street, to be converted into student residences with funding provided by the municipality. under the Recovery and Resilience Plan for €6.9 million.
This happened after the renovation of the Faneromeni school and the transfer of the Cyprus University School of Architecture. This part of the measures, including a €40 million action plan aimed at the reconstruction of the walled city of Nicosia, was presented in mid-April. Among other things, it will provide grants to enterprises to develop entrepreneurship in the old city. The state will also provide incentives for young families moving to the area as part of a broader €116 million state plan.
