Fourteen years after the firebombing of the Attikon complex on Stadiou Street, little has changed for passersby, who see no visible progress on its restoration. Steps have been taken but slow, with no business plan or timeline made public.
Molotov cocktails set the Attikon and Apollon cinemas ablaze on the evening of February 12, 2012, in central Athens. Firefighters prevented the flames from reaching the auditoriums, which survived and offered hope for the future.
It took 11 years to untangle institutional disputes and secure an investor. Yannis Perrotis of Atria signed a 50-year lease with the Museum of the City of Athens, which owns the site. From the outset, he cautioned that strict heritage protections and approvals from the Culture Ministry would shape any plan, limiting interventions and proposals such as a hotel addition.
Complications multiplied: safety designations, legal issues, missing records and break-ins. Authorities have not lifted protective barriers.
Perrotis says permits could arrive within a year, with work lasting up to three. Yet updates remain scarce for a landmark still in darkness.