Polytechnic University of Crete ends Belvedere lease on Kastelli Hill

The Polytechnic University of Crete announced it will not renew its lease with the private firm Belvedere for the historic buildings on Kastelli Hill in Chania. The current lease expires in early August, and the university’s new administration will now decide how to use the property, with proposals to relocate the municipal library and the historic archive.

Community groups and local authorities had opposed Belvedere’s plan to convert the site into a luxury hotel, arguing that the buildings are protected for educational and cultural purposes. Belvedere had offered either a long‑term renewal or compensation for withdrawal, but the university council and the asset‑management board rejected the proposal, effectively ending the private partnership.