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Major Tourism Investment Projects to Take Off in Gournes, Crete
Posted On 16 Feb 2023
Tag: Athens, c80711c, c85932c, Cambas Park, Christos Staikouras, ELLAKTOR Group, Gournes, Gournes former US military base, Gournes project, Gournes property, Greece concessions, Greece economy, Greece investments, Greece privatizations, Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF), Heraklio, investments, l1417l, l22272l, l269l, l446l, l60939l, l75l, Pallini, public assets Greece, REDS SA, Thimios Bouloutas
Deputy CEO of GROWTHFUND (National Fund of Greece) Stefanos Giourelis, REDS SA CEO George Konstantinidis, HRADF CEO Dimitris Politis, Greek Development & Investments Minister Adonis Georgiadis, Greek Finance Minister Christos Staikouras, ELLAKTOR Group President George Mylonogiannis and REDS SA President and Ellaktor CEO Thimios Bouloutas. Photo source: HRADF
Greek company REDS SA has purchased a property located on the former US military base in Gournes, Hersonissos on Crete, the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF) announced this week.
The contract, which also sets out the terms of management, was finalized in the presence of Greek Finance Minister Christos Staikouras, Development & Investments Minister Adonis Georgiadis, HRADF CEO Dimitris Politis, REDS SA CEO George Konstantinidis and REDS SA President and Ellaktor CEO Thimios Bouloutas.
The company paid a total of 42.2 million euros for the property and management rights which was made available via e-auction. REDS SA improved its initial bid by 77.8 percent.
REDS SA is a subsidiary of the Ellaktor Group, a largest infrastructure firm in Greece and Southeastern Europe.
Development of the property in Gournes
Active in real estate development, medium and large-scale retail and entertainment, office, mixed use, exhibition, conference and residential projects, REDS SA will over the next five years together with international and domestic investors implement a series of investments including the creation of a luxury hotel, conference space, residences and shopping center, budgeted at over 210 million euros and set to boost Greek state coffers significantly.
The property in Gournes – 345,567m2 in total – is located on a stretch of sandy beach and is located 13km from the Nikos Kazantzakis Airport, 16km from Heraklion and 20km from Crete’s new airport currently under construction at Kastelli.
Under the deal the company can also develop a casino. The property currently hosts the Hellenic Center for Marine Research, the CretAquarium “Thalassokosmos”, and the International Exhibition Center of Crete, among others.
“This agreement reflects the confidence of large business groups in the potential and prospects of the Greek economy and confirms the effectiveness of government plans for the optimal utilization of the country’s real estate,” said Greek Finance Minister Christos Staikouras.
The minister added that the utilization of the Gournes property and the upcoming investments in the area will contribute significantly to the further promotion and strengthening of the tourist image of Crete, leading to the creation of new jobs and enhancing the economic development of the island.
Photorealistic depiction of the Cambas Park projects. Photo source: REDS SA.
“With today’s completion of the sale process of Gournes in Heraklion, the implementation process begins for the most important tourist and commercial land development project on Crete in the recent past, but also one of the most important developments in Greece,” said Bouloutas.
Last year, REDS announced that it was moving ahead with its 200-million-euro Cambas Park project which includes the creation of entertainment and recreation spaces, restaurants, shopping mall, offices and hotel units on the premises of the former Cambas winery in Pallini outside Athens.
I noticed none of the men named had Cretan surnames. I hardly think that’s fair. And I agree that the animal shelter, the Aquarium, the Exhibition Hall, and the main USAF/HAF gate should remain. The whole thing is interesting. The amount of water needed to keep a resort green year-round would be phenomenal. And not even Crete-like. Crete means appreciating the spring before everything dries out and turns yellow in summer and fall. Green Crete in the late summer looks odd. Like someone spray painted it !
Please look after the animal shelter it has so many followers and supporters worldwide
As a former member of the American Air Station I and thousands of others love to see something happen to that area that will help everyone there.Some members have called me the old base historian of which I’m not but have followed this base since it closed in 1994.I have web sites with thousands of photos of it.40 years of history there.My wife is from there and two of my children were born while we were there 1963 to 1970.A former Greek military commander of the local troops there rebuilt the main gate for us.Is it possible that the main gate can remain there and not be destroyed?.We have reunions each year and the base is one of the main stops.If you stop and look at the windows of the main gate you will see base history photos in every window.I’m in the process of downloading all of the photyos from my web site on Shutterfly to one on Facebook as Shutterfly will stop supporting albums next month.If possible can you keep me updated as to the progress of this huge event with the base?
it’s certainly about time the area was re-developed, but I hope there will be room for the animal shelter, or alternatively they are given a purpose-built place nearby.
Yep, well done, will bring work places to our area, all good. They are talking about the CretAquarium, the exhibition center, the beautiful beach…..why aren’t they also planning something for the animal shelter that has been there for such a long time….instead of that, they have told them that they have to leave…
The Gouves animal shelter has rescued so many dogs and cats in the area, has helped so many strays. If they have to leave, the area will be again full of stray animals….
Why not to include the shelter in their plans, rebuilt it, make it luxurious as well and help promoting it so people visiting the area can be aware and adopt stray animals!!!!
Wouldn’t that improve the image of Greece, regarding the stray animals? Mr. Mitsotakis it isn’t only to show off by adopting a stray animal and show it off, it is actually really doing something for them.