- A massive Nea Alikarnassos shopping center is set to take over 140 acres west of Dyo Aorakia and south of the national highway.
- The mall’s developer rents the land from the City of Heraklion for the next 50 years (might as well hand over the keys now)
- Approval rides on environmental and planning studies set to wrap up by August 4, 2025
- The official project name is “Construction and Operation of an Innovative Cultural and Recreational Commercial Park” (because a mall didn’t sound fancy enough)
- 20 acres remain green space, so everyone feels better about the concrete
- The other 120 acres will be mainly:
- Supermarkets, department stores, shopping centers
- Welfare services
- Offices, banks, insurance, public benefit organizations
- Government administration
- Residential space (let’s see how that goes)
- Schools and education services
- Sports and cultural facilities
- Religious spaces (pray for the parking)
- Healthcare units
- Event and gathering halls
- Restaurants, snack bars, nightlife venues
- Parking, exhibition spaces, hotels, and even a helipad
- Movie studios and logistics centers
- Anything else that doesn’t openly contradict these plans
More Concrete, Less Conscience
In Heraklion’s Nea Alikarnassos, city planners have quietly set the stage for a shopping center so large it could signal to passing satellites. This retail paradise will crown the western edge of Dyo Aorakia, situated south of the national road, encompassing 140 acres of city-owned land. Vita Development has the next half-century to wring every euro out of the contract.
The entire project hinges on a dazzling parade of permits. The Ministry of Development expects to polish off all “consultations” for the Strategic Environmental Impact Study and the Special Spatial Plan by August 4, 2025. Once the paperwork party ends, the real fun begins: bulldozers, blueprints, and the rise of the Nea Alikarnassos shopping center.
For those who worry Heraklion is losing its green soul, planners assure all that 20 of the 140 acres will be reserved for trees and grass—so shoppers can feel serene as they dodge traffic.
Roma Relocation Plot
Next on the agenda: relocating people. The grand vision for Nea Alikarnassos shopping center includes plans to relocate Roma families, who currently reside on part of the planned construction site, into shiny new “neighborhoods.” There’s no shortage of buzzwords, but lots of brick and mortar on the schedule.
Here’s what this “relocation” includes:
- “Neighborhood A”: 100 homes, each 430 square feet (try not to blink or you’ll miss it), packed onto tiny 1,000-square-foot plots
- “Neighborhood B”: 109 homes, same size, as if more concrete boxes make it friendlier
- Shared areas between these two include:
- Two age-specific playgrounds (fun for the whole family, if they can fit)
- A 323-square-foot tutoring room for extra studying (because nothing says opportunity like a mall’s shadow)
- A 323-square-foot medical clinic (good luck fitting a waiting room)
- A 323-square-foot management office so someone can keep count
- Two multi-purpose rooms, one for each residents’ club, at 861 square feet each (just the right size for meetings about why this is all happening)
There’s no official quote anyone’s willing to put their name to, but city planning documents repeat the same dry script: the site will feature “permanent housing, common areas, and modern infrastructure.”
Mall Mania or Civic Mayhem?
The official paperwork boasts endless amenities crammed into 120 out of 140 acres, as if variety can distract anyone from the bulldozed neighborhood behind the glitz. The bullet list of what’s promised includes:
- Retail giants and service providers ready to sell everything under the Cretan sun
- Generous allocations to banks, offices, government bureaucrats, and insurance agents
- Public benefit facilities and welfare (to show they care)
- Schoolrooms squeezed between parking lots
- Sports, art, and cultural offerings—not that they’re interchangeable
- Religious halls for divine inspiration over discount fever
- Health clinics are never far from the food courts
- Event spaces, restaurants, bars, and entertainment centers promise endless options to spend money
For those who believe in miracles, the plan even includes a helipad for VIP arrivals and fixed installations for film and TV productions (as if this circus weren’t surreal enough). And if that all sounds overwhelming, don’t worry: everything not strictly forbidden somehow fits in.
Behind every shopping spree and luxury promise lies the simple truth: a community is displaced so a new mall can rise. In Heraklion’s Nea Alikarnassos, concrete comes first, conscience limps behind.
Information in Greek: Ν.Αλικαρνασσός: Πιο κοντά η δημιουργία του εμπορικού πάρκου – Τι θα γίνει με τον καταυλισμό των Ρομά
