The restoration project of the historic building of the Officers’ Club of Sparta is on the verge of moving forward to the bidding phase. According to a statement from the Deputy Minister of National Defense and Laconia MP, Thanasis Davakis, the updated study has been submitted for approval to the Service of Modern Monuments of the Ministry of Culture.
«The Officers’ Club of Sparta, a landmark of the Archontiko Matala, has been a reference point for decades, intertwined with the Laconian community and the Armed Forces,» Davakis emphasized. He noted that the approval of the study by the Ministry’s Modern Monuments Service, with which they are in continuous contact, represents the final step before the project’s bidding.
A brief overview of the project’s progress is also included in the announcement:
1. In 2020, the Peloponnese Region included the reconstruction of the Officers’ Club in the ESPA program, with a budget of €412,000. Subsequently, the Modern Monuments Service of Peloponnese tendered the project in February 2021, and the contract was signed in May 2023.
2. By May 2024—one year later—the work on the building was in an incomplete state, posing risks to both the safety of residents and the building itself. This led the Municipality of Sparta to issue a danger report in October 2024, prompting the General Staff to undertake emergency protective measures for the structure.
3. Following my appointment as Deputy Minister of National Defense in March 2025, I initiated a meeting on April 4 with my team and the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni. During this meeting, we proposed that the Ministry of National Defense take full responsibility for executing the necessary works through the General Staff, which is the rightful owner of the Club.
4. Subsequently, in September 2025, in collaboration with the Peloponnese Region’s services, the contract was dissolved, and the project’s removal from the ESPA program was completed in December 2025.
5. Immediately thereafter, we began restructuring the study in collaboration with scientific personnel experienced in the restoration of listed buildings, such as the Officers’ Club of Sparta.
6. By February 2026, the updated study was completed, with a budget of €1,400,000 allocated as €1,000,000 for the General Staff and €400,000 for the Peloponnese Region, which had been earmarked in the previous dissolved contract.
7. Last April, we secured the €1,000,000 needed to ensure that as soon as the study is approved by the Ministry of Culture, the project can be put out to tender. We are also awaiting the Peloponnese Region to contribute the €400,000 that corresponds to its share from the initial contract.
It is essential to highlight that the project will be tendered regardless of the timing of the payment from the Peloponnese Region. This restoration endeavor not only aims to preserve an important cultural heritage site but also reinforces the commitment to safeguarding the historical identity of the region.
