Panathinaikos Stadium: Reduced area and more greenery in Votanikos

The way for the tender for the construction of the new Panathinaikos stadium in Votanikos was opened by the approval of the amendment of the environmental conditions by the competent Directorate of Environmental Licensing of the Ministry of Environment and Energy so that on the one hand the Athens football team will acquire a… home in Votanikos and the Athenians the area of ​​the current stadium on Alexandras Avenue in the city center, which will be given as a public park.

The goal is for the famous double regeneration to have been completed, by the end of 2026. The double regeneration was legislated 16 years ago, by law 3481/2006, and incorporated into the Master Plan of Athens with two hyper-local – metropolitan poles in Athens and Votanikos, but until today it had not materialized as it got snagged in bureaucratic red tape and political haggling

The move that mattered

An important move was made a few months ago, when the validity of the 2009 Environmental Conditions Approval Decision (AEPO) was extended by decision of the General Director of Environmental Policy of the Ministry of the Interior, which was based on a regulation that had passed a few days earlier, in law 4951/2022. Thus, a few days ago, the amendment was signed for the construction and operation of the New Stadium of Panathinaikos in the area of ​​Votanikos.

With the proposed modifications of the project, which concern the determination of milder urban planning sizes, there is no significant change in the environmental impacts from the construction and operation of the environmentally licensed project and therefore, the submission of a new Environmental Impact Study is not required, according to the competent agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Less cement more free spaces

In particular, it changes the size of the activity and reduces the building area in favor of free spaces, compared to the maximum allowed provided for in law 3983/2011 and in the Presidential Decree of 2013 for the Double Redevelopment program. Thus, the permitted construction in the football stadium (with a maximum capacity of 40,000 spectators) is reduced by 877 square meters (m2) and will reach 33,823 m2 from the 34,700 m2 originally foreseen.

Correspondingly, the coverage of the football building is reduced by 1,800 m2 (25,851 sq.m. from 27,650 sq.m.). Also, the building… is lowered by approximately 2 meters and its maximum height is 41.05 meters, down from 43 meters. As for the parking spaces, there are 325 inside the football building.

According to the amendment file and the newly approved Traffic Impact Study, the required seats during football matches are 1,807 (a decrease of 893 seats compared to the 2009 AEPO). The Presidential Decree of 2013 provides for the construction of underground parking spaces with a maximum capacity of 450 cars. Taking into account the 125 spaces provided in the building of Amateur Panathinaikos team, the remaining 1,357 spaces will be filled with parking spaces in a nearby building block or within properties at a distance of up to 200 meters from the intervention area.

Read more: Renovations offer a breath of life to Piraeus and Votanikos

Supplementary and Commercial Uses

For the construction of complementary and commercial uses, the area is drastically reduced. The modified Environmental Conditions Approval Decision provides for 4,678.55 m2 from 11,837.94 m2, i.e. the reduction reaches 6,659.74 m2 compared to the maximum allowed provided for in the law 3983/2011 and the P.D. of 2013. On the contrary, green areas in the surrounding area are increasing and from 71,326 m2 before, the mandatory planting will cover 100,191 m2.

It is noteworthy that already last May, a provision has been included in the climate law that extends the validity of the demolition permit for the Panathinaikos Stadium on Alexandras Avenue. In accordance with the Double Redevelopment Law, the demolition permit, exceptionally, was valid until the completion of the work being carried out on the new football stadium in the Votanikos area, in accordance with the relevant building permit and in any case no longer than ten years. Now the time validity of the demolition permit has been extended to 20 years. Furthermore, the possibility of exemption for 10 years from the demolition that had been given for the arbitrary facilities of the Avenue was extended to 20 years, as well as the possibility of legal operation of the existing football field.

Financing

The projects in Votanikos and Alexandras Avenue will be financed mainly with public and community funds – 115 million euros from Public Investments Program and 140 million euros from the Recovery Fund, while around 12 million euros will come from the banks for the construction of the amateur sports facilities.

However, what is in question is the fate of the… empty building shell of the Vovos shopping center, the construction of which had progressed to a significant extent but was never completed and has now passed to Alpha Bank and Piraeus.