15-01-2010: “Revamped Rizari park opens to citizens and visitors”

The fully regenerated Rizari Park
was handed over to Athenian citizens at an official inauguration held this
afternoon. Following action taken by Athens Mayor Nikitas
Kaklamanis, Rizari
Park, which was owned by
the Hellenic Public Real Estate Corporation up until 2007, passed into the
"hands" of the city and the undeveloped property was converted into a green
lung.

The park's regeneration was made
possible through the sponsorship of the Pateras Foundation. Together with Mayor Kaklamanis,
Panathinaikos Sports Club chairman and Pateras Foundation chairman Nikos
Pateras, former minister and Athens
A constituency MP Prokopis Pavlopoulos, Deputy Mayors, City Councillors and
numerous residents attended the launch.

During his brief address, Mayor Kaklamanis noted:
"A dream has become a reality. With the generous sponsorship of the Pateras
Foundation and the people of our Municipality, a beautiful park measuring some 1.5 hectares opens its
doors to our fellow citizens and city visitors.

A park which, together with a green
space behind the Byzantine Museum that is being remodeled and that of the
Aristotelis Lyceum, will together constitute a cultural and environmental
trilogy through which we can walk.

The remodeling of Rizari Park
involved the planting of 10,000 sq m of greenery - namely 98 trees, 406 bushes
and 9,000 sq m of turf, the installation of three wonderful sculptures ("Mazikopiisi"
by sculptor Y. Lambrou, "Plastiko orama" by sculptor Y. Kalakalas and
"Synthesi" by sculptor C. Kapralou) that belong to the City of Athens,
the creation of walkways covering some 3,000 sq m and the illumination of the
park with 130 lights.

I would like to thank my friend, Pateras
foundation chairman Nikos Pateras and the people of the Municipality who
contributed to this successful regeneration".

For his part, Nikos Pateras thanked Mayor Kaklamanis and
all individuals involved in the project, noting that it was a great honour for
the foundation to be able to contribute to the creation of Rizari Park,
which is to the benefit all Athenians.

Nikitas Kaklamanis and Nikos Pateras
then unveiled a marble honorary plaque stating that the Pateras Foundation sponsorship
was made in memory of Diamantis N. Pateras.