The government is planning to relocate around 250 transport companies from Elaionas to the Thriasio Plain, offering incentives to the companies, according to reports.
The plan is being overseen by Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis and aims to make use of the Elaionas area as the Double Regeneration project moves forward.
The first 13 transport companies have been told that they will need to leave in the coming period as construction of Panathinaikos’ stadium progresses. The plan is to relocate them to Thriasio, to a 33,000-sq-m site owned by Hellenic Rail Estate S.A. – Hellenic Rail Estate (formerly GAIAOSE).
For all the transport companies, the government’s plan is to relocate them to a larger area, covering up to 200,000 sq m, where the Thriasio Freight Centre and Thriasio II are being developed.
The site includes properties owned by OSE, among them the K1 and K2 warehouses.
The incentives
In an effort to secure the highest possible participation by transport companies in the relocation plan, a range of incentives is under consideration, market sources say.
These include the free provision of premises for a specified initial period, a cap on the rent the transport companies will pay thereafter, and the granting of an operating licence.
The maximum rent being considered for companies leaving Elaionas and moving to Aspropyrgos is €8 per sq m.
This is in line with market rates. It is also worth noting that many transport companies in Elaionas currently pay no rent for the premises where they operate, while several operate without a licence.
Next steps
Meanwhile, PwC has been commissioned to assess the economic viability of the plan in a study expected to be completed within the next one to two months. Once the relevant studies are complete, a tender is expected to be launched for the repair and upgrading of existing infrastructure and its adaptation to the needs of the transport companies. The scope of the tender, as well as any potential construction of additional infrastructure, will be determined on the basis of the studies.
Sources say the government may make official announcements about the project in the first week of November.