Audit office reports on abandoned building in Nicosia

The Audit Office of Cyprus, led by Auditor General Andreas Papaconstantinou, has released a memorandum regarding an abandoned building on Spyrou Kyprianou Avenue in Nicosia. Originally permitted for an eight-story commercial development in 2010 and 2011, the project has remained unfinished for 14 years despite various ownership changes and license renewals. The structure, currently a metallic skeleton, deviates from the original plans which specified reinforced concrete. The audit highlights severe issues including visual pollution, safety risks, and potential public health hazards, noting that past oversight by municipal authorities and the District Self-Government Organization (EOA) was insufficient. The EOA of Nicosia has clarified that they will propose legislative amendments to the Ministry of Interior to better manage such abandoned properties. While the Audit Office criticizes the lack of enforcement, the EOA maintains that structural and load-bearing designs are the responsibility of private designers, not the licensing authority. The case underscores a nationwide problem regarding the management of unfinished urban developments.