Abandoned airport once country’s biggest is step closer to being £7bn city | World | News

An abandoned airport which has remained spookily quiet for most of the 21st Century is set to transform into a seaside city — with residents set to move into swanky new apartment blocks next year. Ellinikon International Airport in the Greek capital of Athens once served well over 10 million passengers per year before it shut down in 2001. The more modern Athens International Airport, located a few kilometers away, took its place.

However, the deserted former airport will soon be known as an entirely new city, thanks to a £7.6billion plan which has been called the “biggest urban development project in Europe”. And a video was recently released showing how nine apartment blocks in a new area called Promenade Heights are already well underway to being completed. They will open on the spacious site, which is roughly three times bigger than Monaco, in 2027.

A statement on the video read: “At The Ellinikon, a new neighborhood is taking shape. Promenade Heights, with its nine circular and elliptical buildings create a new residential experience that blends contemporary architecture with everyday living.

“The development is progressing steadily, gradually revealing a neighborhood designed for today, and for what’s ahead.”

After posting the video on Instagram, one person replied: “The architecture is perfect! Well done.”

The new smart city is also going to be the location for the Riviera Tower which will stretch an impressive 200 metres. This will make it the tallest building in Greece and will be called home by 169 people who will live across 50 floors.

It is being designed as a “15-minute city” where those living there can access essential services by simply going on a short walk or bike ride.

Designers of the smart and sustainable coastal city are promoting healthier lifestyles and as well as apartment blocks, there is also reportedly going to be a massive park.

Along with the thousands of new homes, the city will also offer shopping centres, sports facilities, luxury hotels, a casino and entertainment venues.

It will also attract British tourists, because it is estimated that one million people will visit annually, especially since a newly built public beachfront is included in the ambitious billion-pound project.

The city will also boast a new marina for luxury yachts and while there will be 6,200 acres for urban living — some 600 acres will be solely used for parks and open green spaces.

This transformation will result in approximately 85,000 jobs being created — and the CEO of Lamda Development, which is spearheading the plans, Odisseas Athanasiou, said: “Ellinikon is the first area in Greece to be developed from the outset as a smart city and it was designed to be environmentally sustainable and resistant to climate change.”

The site has a fascinating history, with the original airport was built back in the 1930s. During World War 2, after the occupation of Greece, it was used by Nazi Germany’s Luftwaffe, and was a target during raids by the Allied powers.

However, after the war, it eventually became the city’s main hub for commercial flights and the airport underwent huge reconstruction work.

And for people wanting to explore Greece’s stunning architectural wonders and glorious beaches, Ellinikon International Airport was often the gateway for that.

However, after having a good run as the main hub for 63 years, it shut down in 2001, primarily over security and noise pollution issues.

Despite laying abandoned until now, some parts of the site have been transformed over the years, like for the Athens Olympics in 2004 when sports like baseball and fencing were hosted.

However, in more recent years, the site, which was largely left to decay, became an informal area where refugees lived in awful conditions inside tents, including in the abandoned terminals.

But demolition work began in July 2020 — and the impressive coastal city is expected to be complete by 2027.