Following a request from four residents of the Makrygianni-Koukaki area, the Council of State (CoS) has once again intervened, for the fifth time under the presidency of Mr. Michalis Pikramenos, as the administration has not complied with the Court's plenary decision from 2019. This decision annulled the building permit issued by the Municipality of Athens, allowing the AEAP (Real Estate Investment Company) to proceed with the construction of a 10-story hotel within the designated archaeological site of Athens.
The CoS plenary had ruled that the contested permit caused harm to the Acropolis monument and called for a reduction in the height of the hotel. As a result, the decision required the demolition of half of the 6th floor and the entire 8th, 9th, and 10th floors of the building.
Significant Delays in the Process
Residents of the Makrygianni area have appealed to the Compliance Committee of the CoS, citing significant delays in the process of demolishing the additional floors of the hotel. According to the latest minutes (3/2025) from the CoS Compliance Council, the Decentralized Administration of Attica, in collaboration with the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE), has started preparing the demolition study for the illegal floors of the hotel.
Documents submitted to the CoS show that the Decentralized Administration of Attica has not included the required budget of €349,999.92 for the tender process of commissioning the demolition study in its 2025 budget.
Another document from the Decentralized Administration reveals that a meeting was held between the Secretary of the Decentralized Administration and the Deputy Minister of National Economy to find the necessary funds to begin the tendering process. It was agreed that the required amount would be covered by the state budget's reserve.
If compliance is not achieved, the CoS will proceed with the imposition of financial penalties on both involved state agencies.
