Although a preliminary decision was taken in 2019 to relocate the Citizen Service Centre (CSC) from Spyrou Araouzou seafront avenue to the centre of Limassol, the project remains under evaluation, as key decisions regarding the future of the former Cooperative Bank building on Gladstonos Street are still pending.
Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Mr. Alexis Vafeades, told “Entrepreneurial Limassol” that various studies have been conducted regarding the operation of a CSC at the specific property. However, a new assessment is currently underway, which is expected to provide a clearer picture of the costs associated with maintaining and upgrading the building. “What is currently in progress is a study that will provide the Ministry of Finance with a better understanding of the costs involved in maintaining and upgrading the building, including the necessary structural reinforcement, in order to accommodate the service, or whether the building should instead be demolished and replaced with a new one,” Mr. Vafeades stated.
As he explained, the government is in the process of completing a comprehensive assessment of the situation so that the Ministry of Finance can make final decisions regarding the property's future use. Maria Alexandrou, Senior Officer at the Department of Public Administration and Personnel of the Ministry of Finance, confirmed that the Ministry continues to support the relocation of the CSC to the centre of Limassol. However, the process depends on the outcome of a technical reassessment of the building by the Public Works Department.
According to Ms. Alexandrou, the Ministry of Finance requested that the Public Works Department re-examine the condition of the building in order to determine whether the state can proceed with acquiring the property and converting it into a CSC. “For the process to move forward, the technical assessment of the building by the Public Works Department must first be completed, and their findings must be forwarded to the Ministry of Finance so that a final decision can be made,” she noted.
Ms. Alexandrou added that the plan for the property’s development has already been approved by the relevant authorities, but the re-evaluation of the property is still pending. If the outcome is positive and a decision is made to acquire the property, the necessary funds will be allocated to the Public Works Department to proceed with the necessary procedures for carrying out the development work.
Panicos Panayiotou, District Engineer of the Public Works Department, explained that the request concerns a repeat of the building’s primary seismic screening assessment, as the previous inspection was conducted in 2020 and the relevant procedures require re-evaluation every five years. “This is not a time-consuming process. It is a visual inspection that needs to be carried out, especially since a structural adequacy assessment was previously conducted and the improvements recommended by the private consultant were implemented,” he said.
According to Mr. Panayiotou, once the inspection is completed, the results will be submitted to the Ministry of Finance, which will then proceed with the next steps. It is recalled that on 25 July 2019, the Council of Ministers approved the use of the former district offices of the Cooperative Bank on Gladstonos Street to house the Limassol CSC, with the estimated value of the property at the time amounting to €3.1 million.
The relocation was considered necessary because the existing building in the seafront area is regarded as unsuitable for the increased public service demands, while complaints have periodically been recorded regarding limited parking spaces and accessibility issues. At the same time, concerns were expressed from the outset regarding the choice of the new location near Pentadromos, with residents and business owners highlighting potential traffic congestion and parking problems in an already heavily burdened part of the city centre.
Interest in the future of the building is further heightened by the significant construction activity recorded in recent years along Gladstonos Street. Aigli Kokkinofta-Christou, Director of Development Licensing at the Limassol District Local Government Organisation (EOA Limassol), told “Entrepreneurial Limassol” that any reconstruction, renovation or change-of-use works are examined in accordance with the provisions of the applicable legislation and licensing procedures.
She also noted that several applications for private developments in the area are still under examination, while in some cases the buildings concerned are listed properties, requiring additional approvals from the competent authorities. Meanwhile, real estate development company BBF (Build Better Future) confirmed that it is promoting office building developments in close proximity to the CSC building under assessment. Licensing applications have been submitted for all projects, while the development located at the junction of Gladstonos and Nafpliou Streets has already secured the necessary permits and construction works are underway.
In addition, for a plot of land adjacent to the site where the CSC is planned to operate, another development company submitted an application in June 2025 for the construction of a nine-storey apartment building with a ground floor and parking facilities. As the property is located within a special-character area, the views of the Department of Town Planning and Housing were requested before any decision is taken.
