Typos

Audit Office: 14-Year-Old Half-Built Building 'File' Revealed

Published March 26, 2026, 09:24
Audit Office: 14-Year-Old Half-Built Building 'File' Revealed

The Audit Office has released a memorandum regarding a half-built building on Spyros Kyprianou Avenue in Nicosia, which has remained in this state for 14 years. The memorandum highlights the chronic problem of managing incomplete developments in Cyprus, a problem not limited to this case but found in other areas as well. According to the Auditor General, the history of the building is characterized by permits, renewals, and deviations from approved plans, without substantial progress towards its completion. Despite changes in ownership and attempts to reactivate the project, the building remains unfinished in the center of the capital. The consequences of this situation are numerous, negatively affecting the image of the city, creating safety and public health issues, and fostering a perception of tolerance and lack of supervision. The prolonged abandonment of the building causes problems such as visual pollution, the risk of access to dangerous areas (a human body was previously found within the construction site), and an increased risk of infections. The Audit Office points out that existing legislation does not provide sufficient tools to the competent authority to address such situations and proposes a review of the legislation, including the introduction of a legal definition of the term 'incomplete building', the establishment of a maximum validity period for building permits, and the linking of renewal to substantial work progress.