Another step towards the construction of the Holocaust Museum is expected to take place on Monday 24.8.2020 with the filing of a memorandum of cooperation between the central municipality, GAIOSE, and the Israeli Community of Thessaloniki.
The object of this memorandum is the location of the Holocaust Museum of Greece on the property of GAIAOSE S.A. within the Municipality of Thessaloniki. In more detail, the memorandum allows the relocation of the initial construction point of the project to a more central point in order, as the municipality notes, to give the building additional dynamics, but also to solve problems, such as accessibility and the creation of the parking space, which is a prerequisite for the licensing and operation of the Museum.
This displacement presupposes, as stated in the relevant description, the use of a surface area of approximately 10 acres of public space owned by the Municipality of Thessaloniki.
Ο mayor had announced the solution proposed by the memorandum, stating at the beginning of June in his presentation to the municipal council: "It seems that we are moving forward with a solution with the utilization of a neighboring property of the municipality, so that the Holocaust Museum with the shortest possible procedures can start and it also has the necessary space for its construction and for any other functions, such as parking, traffic regulations" (see HERE).
Speaking to Voria.gr, the deputy mayor of Technical Works, Makis Kyrizidis, emphasized that in order to start the project, the previous planning that involved the municipality had to be modified first, and which turned out to be impossible to implement. "Exactly this solves the memorandum, the implementation", he pointed out, saying that this is an initial, but essential step to get the project off the ground. As he mentioned, the municipality proceeded with any moves in close cooperation with the central administration, GEOSE, the Israeli Community and the involved bodies, in order to do everything possible to put this important project for the city on track for implementation. while he left spikes against the previous administration, speaking of sloppiness in planning.
In turn, the managing director of GAIOSE, Periklis Nikolaou, stated that this memorandum is being made in order for the museum to be erected a little further north and centrally within the plot. "It is a very important step for the Holocaust Museum project to move forward," he stressed.
It is recalled that the Prime Minister has appointed Panagiotis Pikrammenos as the coordinator of this great project. In his first official visit to Thessaloniki on February 11 in this capacity, Mr. Pikramenos admitted that there are several problems in the implementation of the project. The memorandum brought to vote by the municipality follows the public meeting which was attended that day by the Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Panagiotis Pikramenos, the Deputy Minister of the Interior Mr. Theodoros Karaoglou, the head of the Prime Minister's Office in Thessaloniki Ms. Maria Antoniou, Mr. Ioannis Vikelidis as representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Konstantinos Tsamadias as representative of the Ministry of Finance, the Mayor of Thessaloniki Mr. Konstantinos Zervas, the Consul General of Germany Ms. Sibylla Bendig, Mr. Ioannis Boutaris, David Saltiel and Dimitris Samaras representing the Foundation of the Holocaust Museum of Greece, Mr. Vassilis Kaskarelis representing the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Mr. Periklis Nikolaou representing GAIAOSE S.A. and the CEO of E.Y.A.TH. Mr. Narkissos Georgiadis and during which, as the description of the municipality states, "problems were noticed that made it impossible to start planning and implementing the project, as it had been organized until then".
It is noted that speaking to Voria.gr at the end of July, the president of the Holocaust Museum, Yiannis Boutaris, emphasized that "in the autumn a legislative regulation will be passed, which will include and cover all outstanding issues - and they are many and at different levels - and the project will then proceed with speed" (see HERE).
SOURCE: VORIA.gr website, 21.8.2020