Tepak student dorms ‘a dream come true’
Cyprus University of Technology (Tepak) rector Panayiotis Zaphiris on Monday called the construction of student dormitories on the former British base settlement of Berengaria, in Kato Polemidia, “a dream come true”.
The foundation stone-laying ceremony for the project, which cost around €56 million, took place on Saturday and was attended by President Nikos Christodoulides.
“We are building a stronger future for our university,” Zaphiris told the Cyprus News Agency on Monday. “The ceremony represented a symbolic start of a new chapter for the us and for our students.
“With this new project, we aim not only to build affordable, welcoming and modern living spaces for our students, but also to create a dynamic environment that will enhance their academic and social experience,” Zaphiris said.
“We are building something bigger than just dormitories. We are building a stronger future for our university and for each and every one of our students.”
The Tepak rector said that the first 154 student rooms will be ready by 2026, along with sone outdoor areas of the complex.
“By 2027, the project will be completed,” he said.
Addressing the audience during last Saturday’s ceremony, the head of Tepak’s board Kostas Galatariotis called the project “the most important ever in the university’s history”.
“It will become a landmark for Limassol and for Cyprus in general,” he said. “The foundation stone-laying ceremony coincides with 20 years since the establishment of our university, which represents a dynamic trajectory of development.”
Galatariotis added that future plans for Tepak include “the construction of a university health centre, which will cooperate with the state health services Okypy, as well as the construction of a building hosting courses of the School of Communication and Media Studies and the School of Fine and Applied Arts.”
For his part, the community leader of Kato Polemidia Nikos Anastasiou said that, with the construction of the new student dormitories, “Tepak is entering a new era.”
The project will occupy a total of 35,000 square metres. Tepak said it will have the capacity to host over 500 students.
In addition to dormitories, the project will feature underground parking spaces, student reception offices, lounges, areas for daily activities, a fully equipped restaurant, gym, multipurpose halls, amphitheatres and conference centres.
The project’s financing was secured through the European Investment Bank and the Development Bank of the Republic of Cyprus.