What does it remind us of? We’re talking about the development with Kition Ocean Holdings, which was supposed to invest €1.2 billion in Larnaca.
Firstly, it reminds us of that investment planned opposite the Hilton by the Emir of Qatar. It was touted as the largest investment ever made in Cyprus, according to then-Finance Minister Charilaos Stavrakis.
A mock-up was even presented, which was later deemed a fake, and the investment was written off as hot air. But not before a camp located on the plot was closed, a statue of a former National Guard Chief who died in a helicopter crash was removed, and the then-Archbishop wanted the Technical School located there to be shut down to increase the size of the plot to be granted to the Qataris.
During the same period, there was another investor who frequently visited the presidential palace, promising the moon. Mr Nader Ghermezian of Triple Five from Canada. We remember him more for his style than for his investments. With his puffed-up hair and smiling face, wearing his caps, he convinced us that he would definitely buy our national airline, which was on its last legs.
Then came the Chinese. We were going to give them the buildings of the old Larnaca airport, where they would perform miracles: 3,650 shops of all kinds and a parking lot with a capacity of 1,640 cars. A special line would connect the building to the new Larnaca airport, and the building’s exterior would constantly change with spectacular effects.
But that was nothing compared to the €7 billion investment by a Hungarian in the Eden City project in Geroskipou. Artificial islands, marinas, hotels, luxury villas… We were ready to alter the runways so that the buildings of Eden City wouldn’t interfere with aircraft, and the Archbishop was ready to take the bulldozers and raze archaeological sites that stood in the way of development.
And then, another mammoth development disappeared, just like the mammoths 4,000 years ago. But it left us with mock-ups and 3D renderings. Like Kition, which may not disappear so easily since it has already been granted the marina and the land adjacent to it, and it’s not so simple to give it back to the state. That’s why they’re threatening legal action.
In the end, what it reminds us of are those emails from various individuals asking for our bank account details so we can invest together.