Christos Theodoropoulos: “The goal is to have ‘AENAON’ delivered by the end of 2028”
The Deputy Regional Governor of the Southern Sector of Athens, speaks to White Paper about the regeneration of the coastal front and the current projects in the Southern Suburbs, which are intertwined with the development of the Athenian Riviera.
- 15/07/2025, 17:03
In his interview with White Paper, the Deputy Regional Governor of the Southern Sector of Athens, Christos Theodoropoulos, describes “AENAON – The Open Park of the Mediterranean” as the largest urban regeneration project in the Attica Region, which will completely upgrade the coastal front of the “Athenian Riviera”. The 360,000,000 euros regeneration project of Faliro Bay is expected to be delivered to the citizens by the end of 2028, underlining that the goal is to have it tendered before the summer of this year. As he himself stated, this project, as well as a series of current projects in the Southern Suburbs, is “the clear answer that for us, respect for the public character of the beach is a non-negotiable value”. Furthermore, Christos Theodoropoulos, with a comprehensive view, as in 2019 he was elected Regional Councilor of the Southern Sector of Athens and from September of the same year to January 2023 he served as president of the Attica Regional Council, shares in his interview the challenges facing the Region in the eight Municipalities of Southern Athens.
You assumed duties as Deputy Regional Governor of the Southern Sector for the first time in 2023. Two years later, what do you consider to be the main challenges regarding infrastructure in the Southern Suburbs?
Indeed, I had the pleasure and honor of assuming the duties of Deputy Regional Governor of the Southern Sector of Athens in 2023. Of course, I already knew, as President of the Attica Regional Council, that the eight Municipalities of southern Athens did not have the same problems, nor did they need the same infrastructure projects. Therefore, from the position of Deputy Regional Governor, I had the opportunity to hear directly from the Mayors and the local communities which problems needed immediate attention and which infrastructure projects they themselves prioritized. If I could, however, point to one issue as a common component, it would be flood control projects. These are projects that touch on the ever-increasing importance of civil protection and the safety of citizens’ lives and their properties. And, believe me, both the previous administration led by Mr. Patoulis, as well as the current one headed by Mr. Hardalias, with long and significant experience in civil protection issues, have implemented a lot of things. The flood protection project in Terpsithea, Glyfada, the major contract for the Kanari flood protection project in Alimos and, of course, the emblematic project of the widening of the Ilissos River, a permanent request of the residents of the area, with a budget of 16,000,000 euros, which is currently underway and will significantly shield Kallithea and Moschato, are some of the projects that I would like to highlight. It is not by chance that the Governor of the Attica Region Nikos Hardalias, since the day he took office, has set the flood protection of Attica region as an absolute priority of the current administration. Therefore, if I had to prioritize one as a key challenge, regarding the implementation of infrastructure projects, I would choose the acceleration of the implementation of contracted and ongoing flood control projects, as well as the inclusion of other similar ones in the Regional Deliverables Program.
What are the most important actions that place the citizen living in the Southern Suburbs at the center of your strategic plan, given that the area has been “blooming” in recent years with a series of emblematic investments that are underway?
I do not like to talk about the Regional Unit, which I have the honor of presiding over, as something separate and individual to Attica, but it is a reality that Southern Athens has a central role in the overall planning of the Region. Of the 280 + 1 projects that have begun and that we presented to the citizens of Attica a few months ago, the plus one is “AENAON”, the Metropolitan Park of the Mediterranean, which extends spatially to Southern Athens and constitutes our “crown jewel”. At the same time, other emblematic projects are taking place next to it, which will change the neighborhoods of the 8 Municipalities of Southern Athens even more for the better. Imagine a coastal front that starts from the beach of Moschato and Kallithea, where “AENAON” will dominate, passes through the TAE KWON DO stadium and the wider area of Water Square, an area that was recently granted to the Region of Attica by Hellenic Public Properties Co. (HPPC), so that it can be developed as an additional public green, sports and cultural space, and ends in Glyfada, passing successively through Palaio Faliro, Alimos and Hellinikon, through the Urban Promenade – a holistic urban regeneration project that has already started and will ideally shape the coastal area. This is, if you will, the contribution of Attica Region to the general change that has occurred in recent years with the investments of the “Stavros Niarchos” Foundation, as well as “The Ellinikon Project”, but also a clear demonstration of the fact that for us, respect for the public character of the beach is a non-negotiable value.
The major investment in the Hellinikon area is underway. How do you think it will shape the map of the Southern Suburbs?
The investment in the Hellinikon area is, indeed, an unfolding reality. We see it day by day, those of us who happen to pass by Poseidonos avenue and the area of the old airport. It is a private initiative and investment, which was applauded and largely enabled by the Greek governments after 2016. Like everything, I think it has obvious positives but also challenges, which we all need to be aware of, in or der to address the problems that are almost certain to arise at their inception. The positives of the investment are more or less obvious: a huge area that was undeveloped for years between the Vouliagmeni Avenue and the coastal Avenue will be transformed into a modern city, with public green, sports and cultural spaces. A side benefit is the compensatory benefits that the investor provides to the involved Municipalities, with the main beneficiary being the Municipality of Hellinikon-Argyroupoli, in order to use the allocated lands for public works, as well as the fact that the properties of the wider area significantly increase in value. However, we should not ignore that this “city within the city” will also create serious issues. Permanent residents, visitors to the Conference Center and the concert venue, will use the same, already “overloaded”, roads to travel to and from their homes or their entertainment venues, resulting in a visible risk of traffic congestion. In this direction, it is clear that initiatives must be taken, led by the competent Ministry, to prepare the necessary studies and implement the necessary projects that will alleviate the problem. And in this case, moreover, the relevant study must be holistic and not fragmentary, that is, it must include the wider area.
When do you estimate that the new Urban Promenade will be delivered to the citizens and what is the current progress in the most emblematic project of the redevelopment of Faliron Bay?
The new Urban Promenade is an emblematic project for the residents of almost all the Municipalities of southern Athens, but also for visitors of the entire Attica area. This is a project with a budget of 19,130,000 euros and concerns the creation of a unified 18-km-long bike lane, which will run along the Attica coastal front from Moschato to Vouliagmeni. It is, moreover, an excellent example of a smooth and fruitful collaboration between HRADF, the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Municipalities and the Region of Attica. The project is due for delivery in the autumn of this year, but some resulting variations to the original plan, due mainly to necessary changes in the layout, may cause a few months’ extension. As for the emblematic project of the regeneration of Faliro Bay, namely the creation of the “AENAON” Park, it is important to point out that the Regional Administration is “running” the final procedures, so that it can be tendered before the summer of this year. The stated goal is for the project to be delivered by the end of 2028, a realistic goal, even though this is a particularly complex project, with a budget of 360,000,000 euros. In any case, for all of us in the Attica Region and, above all, for the Regional Governor, it is a primary challenge to prove ourselves worthy of the expectations of our fellow citizens and to deliver a “jewel” that our children and grandchildren will enjoy.
Published in “White Paper: The Big Business of the South”, NouPou Media’s special edition spotlighting the current landscape and future prospects of the Athens Riviera.