KAS rules in favor of demolishing Athens hotel’s top floors

Following a marathon session on Wednesday, Greece’s Central Archaeological Council (KAS), the country’s top advisory body on the protection of antiquities, ruled in favor of the demolition of the top two floors of a hotel built in the central Athens district of Makriyianni, Kathimerini understands.

KAS had initially green-lighted the construction but the public protest campaign by local residents who say the bulding obstructs the view of the Parthenon forced authorities to re-examine the licenses granted.

The 10-floor COCO-MAT Athens BC on Falirou Street has been operating for a year.

Following the protests last year, the Environment Ministry suspended all building licenses in the area around the Acropolis in February 2019.

In November, the Council of State cancelled the hotel’s building licenses.

The administrative court also upheld an appeal by residents in Makriyianni against a pre-approved building license for a nine-story hotel on Misaraliotou Street that also blocks the public's view of the Parthenon.

Construction for the second hotel has not started.

The next step in the procedure will be for Culture Minister Lina Mendoni to issue a ministerial decision specifying the terms of the procedure and provide the hotel owner with a timetable to abide by the decision.