Regional Council approves transfer agreement for former 6th Primary School building
CORFU. Regional Governor says it will be used to house the Digital Museum of Ionian History and Culture.
By a majority vote, the Ionian Islands Regional Council approved the agreement for the transfer of the former Garitsa-Kerkyra 6th Primary School property, owned by ETAD SA, to the Ionian Islands Region, on Friday, August 4.
According to a statement from the Regional Authority, after the necessary general repair and upgrading works of the building and its surrounding area, the Digital Museum of Ionian History and Culture will be housed there.
The transfer of this iconic property will be subject to the following terms and conditions:
- A lease duration of 25 years with the option of extension for an additional ten (10) years.
- A three-year period for the submission of repair, renovation and restoration plans starting from the beginning of the lease.
- An annual financial consideration set and agreed upon at the amount of €12,000.
The recommendation of the Regional Authority, which passed by majority, was opposed by the LA.SY. and Anti-capitalist Left factions, while the AN.A.S.A. and Ionian Alliance factions, as well as regional councillors Rodoyiannis and Pozidis, abstained.
No jurisdiction
In her statement, Regional Governor Rodi Kratsa said that last February, a meeting was held at the Ministry of Finance with the Minister of Finance, Christos Staikouras, on the matter of the free transfer of the building, as unanimously decided by the Ionian Islands Regional Council in its session on January 27, 2023, with the participation of the party leaders and the President of the Garitsa Park Association, Alexandros Vergis.
As indicated in the Regional Authority's announcement, the conclusion of the aforementioned meeting was twofold: Firstly, the Minister of Finance had absolutely no jurisdiction over the matter, and secondly, ETAD SA had no right to the free transfer of the building according to its constitution.
This latter was also stated by the Authorised Advisor of ETAD SA, Panayiotis Balomenos, who was also present at the meeting at the Ministry of Finance. He noted, however, that ETAD SA has already responded positively to the request of the Ionian Islands Region, accepted to cooperate with them, and did not proceed with an auction for the utilisation of the building. They proposed the lowest price based on the expert's report and did not put forward any specific demands (e.g., co-exploitation). On the contrary, they accepted the proposal to reconsider the possibility of some secondary facilitation for the Ionian Islands Region.
Following the approval of the Regional Authority's recommendation by the majority of the Regional Council, the Ionian Islands Region, which has expressed its keen interest multiple times in utilising this specific iconic building in Garitsa, Corfu, will proceed with the necessary procedures. Once the building is transferred to their ownership, they will work towards the creation of a modern Digital Museum of Ionian History & Culture.
Photo: Enimerosi archive
