The busy central port of Pireas is preparing to put its best face forward, with new piers, warehouse renovations, beautification projects and sophisticated infrastructure. In tune with the fervent preparations for the Olympics, the country's largest port hasnt escaped the 2004 brush.

The City of Pireas, while practically speaking an extension of Athens only 5 kilometres away, is still markedly different in character. Of course, the most obvious difference is that Pireas is dominated by a bustling port. The waterline actually meets the road, where passenger ships spill their human cargo almost in the lap of the chaotic street that rings it. This place that serves upwards of 11 million people annually is about to get a makeover.

Enter Gate H
Apart from an Olympics-driven and much-needed Look of the City beautification project for shops, buildings and squares on the waterfront, those travelling to the eastern Aegean, Crete or Rhodes have already had a taste of things to come. Instead of leaving from the cramped central Gate E - now sequestered as part of a 3km-stretch of berthing space by the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee (Athoc) - boats plying these routes now tie up at the brand new Gate H, on the far-west end, about a kilometre from Pireas Metro station.

At the port's bus-stop canopy in front of the station, a large Pireas Port Authority (OLP) bus pulls up and a massive door opens to the road ahead. The driver calls out destinations as he nears the ferries: " Hania ", " Chios ", and then drives off, past abandoned buildings waiting to be upgraded or torn down, towards Gate H.

"The move to Gate H is the only change as far as domestic travel goes," says Pireas Port Authoritys Stavros Hatzakos, in charge of the upgrade. "Regular buses will also eventually reach Gate H, as well as serve the rest of the port. We are interested in a kind of mounted rail solution, a monorail probably," he says. "But I don't know if we can succeed in erecting it by 2004."

Floating solutions
The east side of the port will see the most changes ahead of the 28th Olympiad, where "floating hotels" for the duration of the August 13-29 Games will be berthed. Almost all of the tenders have been commissioned and some works have already begun.

Both the port authority - which is preparing for a partial-flotation on the Athens Stock Exchange by year-end 2002 - and Athoc are convinced everything will be ready on schedule. "We're starting off from our area, so if any works are delayed they will be outside it," says Athocs ship section manager, Costas Veloudakis. "The Pireas project is within the time schedule. The new piers will be delivered in April 2003."

In the region of the circa-1920s Kanellos warehouse and Palataki hunting pavilion, also scheduled for renovations, the new piers will be used to dock some of the 11 to 13 ships that will house the 13,000-plus Olympic officials, guests and spectators. So far, only the flagship of the 'sleeping armada' has signed up the much-anticipated Queen Mary 2 . The ship, still in the making, will be the most technologically advanced luxury liner ever, standing at a leviathan 400 metres long and 345 metres wide.

"If the Cunard Queen Mary came in now, she wouldnt be able to dock," says Veloudakis. "There is no dock wide enough to take this vessel. The dock currently under construction, though, is the only one that will be able to accommodate it," he adds. "The capacity of the vessels might be the same, but we have 173 apartments and suites. Quite a number of these have their own butler; that's part of the deal."

Protocol and the free market will decide who gets to stay on the boats. "There is a demand for beds, both by the Olympic family as well as spectators," says Veloudakis. "We would make a call of interest, whereby any vessel wanting a berthing place will give us 30% of their cabin capacity at a preferential rate, and the balance of 70% they could sell in the open market. This way we would satisfy our requirements and assist in the general accommodation plan of the Olympics."

Flisvos marina in neighbouring Paleo Falero is also being set up for VIP mega-yachts by a public and private sector consortium. As for who gets to cast anchor there: "Probably we'll follow the International Olympic Committee VIP priority list," says Veloudakis.

Cruise ships and security
Cruise ships that currently use the Pireas port east side will move to nearby Keratsini and/or the port of Lavrio, but the study has yet to be finalized. Companies with a connection to the Olympics that did not secure accommodation on the Pireas-docked ships are another possibility. "We could suggest they go to Lavrio, or even Corinth," says Veloudakis. "With the airport road connection in place, it would make sense for island cruises to begin at Lavrio," he believes.

Security is another issue foremost in planners' minds. "Boarding these vessels is a very sensitive thing," says Hatzakos. "It's quite different talking about a port of call, just visiting, and talking about a port thats the starting point of a cruise." "This area has to be very secure according to the Olympic security program," concurs Veloudakis. "There will be closed-circuit television and everything necessary to guard a high-security area."

As for legacy, the first priority for both the port and Athoc is infrastructure. In Pireas' case, that means getting a new sewage, water and fire-fighting system installed - the only port in the Mediterranean to have one. "It will be one of the most sophisticated ports," says Hatzakos. Delivered in early 2004, it will give the organizers a chance to hold test events. "Games time," says Veloudakis, "we will have everything functioning."