The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that the purchase of Piraeus 260 is a crucial agreement and act for promoting the Eleonas area as a cultural hub. The property was bought for 12,600,000 euros from funds provided by the Recovery and Resilience Fund.
The Ministry of Culture has been in discussion with the National Bank about purchasing the property since 2000. After four years of negotiations, bureaucratic procedures, and cooperation with relevant agencies and the Administration of the National Bank, the process was completed a few weeks ago. Without the strong will of both parties, the property acquisition would not have been achieved. Culture Minister Lina Mendoni stated that the goal is to establish a strong cultural center in the industrial complex of Fr. Ergostasiou Tsaoussoglou beyond the Greek Festival, which will continue to be housed in the area.
The managing director of the National Bank, Pavlos Mylonas, said that the Bank has always been supportive of the promotion of Greek culture. Since 2011, the Bank has allowed the Athens Festival to use a portion of the Piraeus 260 property to create a cultural hub in the Eleonas area. The exceptional level of cooperation between the National Bank and the Ministry of Culture is exemplified by the transfer of the property in December 2023.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Piraeus 260 property was formerly occupied by the Tsausoglou furniture factory. The Ministry of the Interior has characterized the buildings on the property as historical monuments since 2000 and 2001, recognizing them as remarkable examples of industrial constructions. They are characteristic elements of the architectural and industrial physiognomy of Piraeus Street from the second half of the 20th century and, therefore, have significant social and technological importance.
