On the last Sunday of November 1931 (29/11/1931) at 15:30 p.m. took place the opening ceremony of the Municipal Baths, which were lauded as the first civilizing project of the Capital of Epirus. The ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Ioannina Mr. Dimitris Vlachlidis with the City Council and its President, Mr. Georgios Kappas, Associations, Clubs, and the Music of the Orphanage. The Archbishop of the Diocese of Ioannina, His Eminence Mr. Efstathios, performed the sanctification.

In May 1933, the City Council held a meeting “On the study of thermal and plumbing installations and sanitary facilities of the Municipal Baths” and decided unanimously to have Municipal Engineer A. Alieas carry out the study of the public works. The thermal and plumbing installation for the supply of the system of baths and sinks, the installation of central heating, and the purchase of sanitary supplies were all approved. In September 1933, a decision was reached on the plumbing and thermal installations for the distribution of cold and hot water and on the supply of sanitary equipment, electric chandeliers, and lamps, so that the normal operation of the Municipal Baths can begin. In January, there was a recommendation regarding the lining of the floor of the Municipal Baths, as proposed by P. Melirritos, with cement slabs, white or black, from Piraeus Industries. The Municipal Technical Service proposed for a newly established industry of the city of Ioannina and advanced to cover the Municipal Baths building with slabs from Ioannina since the cost of the expenditure would be exactly the same. At the same time, it was decided to build an enclosure around the Municipal Baths to protect the building and to construct paved walkways. In 1935, a major issue to be resolved was that of water supply. The proposals that were put forward until the water supply works were completed were to use either water from the W. Baths’ well or water from the Cultivation Centre via piping. In the summer of 1936, the works were completed and decisions were reached on how to operate and exploit the Municipal Baths. The Municipal Baths entered into normal operation in December 1936; admittedly, “They have been constructed with perfect facilities and a luxurious appearance”. The Municipality of Ioannina took over the operation of the Baths with the establishment of a Special Temporary Agency, the “Municipal Baths Operating Agency”. Public attendance was so high that, in 1938, a new hot water heater was added. In the same year, the total expenses of the Municipal Baths suggested that the private sector should assume management and, by April 1941, the right to operate was granted to private individuals, with the last lessee being A. Kamenopoulos.

In April 1941, the Municipal Baths were requisitioned by the Italian and then by the German authorities, in order to serve the needs of their troops. During this time, A. Kamenopoulos protected the Municipal Baths building as municipal property and, as a result of his stance, he was abused and imprisoned twice.

Following the liberation from the Germans, the Municipal Baths building had to be restored and repaired due to looting and the deplorable condition it was now in. The City was to undertake the “complete” renovation, the furnishing, and the full repair of the damage in order to make it anew into an edifice of modern standards since the building was the image of the city to outsiders. To carry out these repairs, of course, the Municipal Baths would have to be closed down for at least a month. Meanwhile, in early October 1950, A. Palodios submitted an application for leasing out the warehouse within the Baths plot after converting it into a Filling Station and Car Specialties Shop, despite the Car Station building (20th KTEL, in Greek an acronym of Common Funds of Bus Proceeds, an intercity bus service) being under construction. The City Council unanimously decided to convert the area into a Shop, because due to its central location it could prove to be a profitable piece of municipal property. It also approved the lease of the premises through a bidding procedure based on specific conditions to be defined by the competent services of the City. The Agreement to Lease the property within the Municipal Baths warehouse area—on Vasilissis Olgas street and next to the 20th KTEL—to A. Palodios was renewed in June 1959 for a five-year period.

The City Council decided to form a legal entity under the name “Municipal Gallery”. However, the redeveloped Makri residence is finally preferred for housing the gallery.

The issue of the Municipal Baths and the concession of their use is raised again.

The successive, fruitless tenders for the lease of the building and the need to exploit this central property led to the area in front of the Municipal Baths being used to place tables and chairs that would serve the beer- and steak-house across the street. In order to generate revenue for the Municipal Treasury, the desire was to exploit the entire property of the Municipal Baths there is a proposal even to demolish the baths. The City Council decided to lease out the land of the Municipal Baths for whatever use through an invitation to tender; the Lease Contract would be valid until October 15, 1970, with a proposed amount of 2,000 drachmas per month. It was finally awarded to a private individual, on a monthly rent of 10,403 drachmas and a Contract in force until October 15, 1970.

The Greek Alkimoi Society (Soma Hellinon Alkimon) was a youth organisation founded in Smyrna before the Asia Minor disaster and re-established in Athens around 1922. Initially, it was similar to scouting organisations; however, during the Greek Junta that seized power on April 21, 1967, it transformed into a propaganda institution and was one of the most active bodies of its kind until its dissolution in 1974. Local Philalkimos (i.e. “friend of Alkimoi”) Committees, under the supervision of the General Philalkimos Committee/Gen Secretariat of Sports (Emergency Law 397/1968), operated in various cities of Greece. A document of the Regional Administration of Epirus, Aitoloakarnania & Lefkada of the Greek Alkimoi Society (SEA), dated May 1970, raises the housing issue. Finding accommodation in municipal properties was very difficult and the demands of the owners, in terms of rent, were outrageous. The Society requested the concession of the Municipal Property of the former Municipal Baths as a whole (i.e. both the courtyard and the building) to be used as the Alkimoi Club of Ioannina. The City Council decides to grant the concession and provide accommodation to the Greek Alkimoi Society until December 31, 1970. However, any repairs were prohibited since the building required demolition to be then properly exploited. In 1971, after the legal determination that there was an impediment to the concession of the Municipal property without rental and with no tender process, a new call for bids was scheduled for the lease of the municipal property of the former Municipal Baths to the Greek Alkimon Society. With the resolution of the legal procedures and according to a relevant Bulletin of the Ministry of the Interior, the site was granted free of charge for an additional year to the Society (June 1971).

About a year later, on July 27, 1972, the Mayor Mr. Spyros Filippou informs the City Council that, a few days earlier, the Deputy Regional Director of Epirus, Mr. Kotselis, had requested the transfer of the Greek Alkimoi Society to the V. Pyrsinellas heritage home, which then house the University of Ioannina Students’ Club for 800 drachmas per month. Also proposed was to move the Club to the Municipal property of the former Municipal Baths. The City Council decided to grant the Municipal property to the University Students' Club free for one year, with the contract entering force on 05/08/1972. The property remained leased to the Ioannina Student Association for six (6) years.

At the same time, however, on December 17, 1975, the Mayor, Mr. Konstantinos Begas argued that due to the central location of the Aegli, Municipal Baths, and Gymnasterium plots, the City should make good use of them, anticipating an enormous yield of revenue. The Municipal Council unanimously decided to call for a Panhellenic Tender for the exploitation of these three plots and preferred to invest in the two Municipal properties: the Aegli plot (opposite the today’s Court House), to turn it into a Town Hall, and the Municipal Baths plot which would be redeveloped into a Shopping Centre. This issue was intensively discussed both within the City Council and with the Association of Graduate Architects (SADAS). As regards to the Shopping Centre (formerly Municipal Baths), the SADAS Board reasoned that when it comes to a public building covering a total area of 1,000 sq. m and situated in a city hub, its management should be through an architectural competition. This is the only way to ensure the best architectural result both for the city and in the municipality’s interests. After discussion and evaluation, the study for the construction of a Shopping Centre on the Baths plot was awarded to the OAOM Design Office - Ltd - (Gartzos - Gounaropoulos - Kostikas). Nevertheless, in 1978, the property of the former Municipal Baths was used to house the workshops of the Municipal Water Supply Service.

At the same time, from 29 September 1978 and for the duration of one year, the Epirus Theatre Organization, founded in Ioannina in 1976 and important artistic presence, rented a hall in the former Municipal Baths to hold its courses and meetings. Despite the Organization’s wish to extend the lease for another year, their request was rejected in October 1979.

In his report (June 4, 1980), the Mayor Mr. Theodoros Georgiades stated his views on the development of the Municipal property of the former Municipal Baths. He stresses that the Municipality of Ioannina should contribute to the cultural uplift of the city’s inhabitants and not think in business terms. Therefore, he proposed the creation of a neoclassical building, a jewel to the city that would house the Art Gallery, given that the previous attempt to create one did not work out. The Gallery could be furnished with the paintings of the “Friends of Ioannina” Association, some pieces from the will of Alexandros Pallis, Byzantine-era objects from the Museum, and the portraits of the donors and benefactors of the City. Some Councillors opposed these views of the Mayor, bringing up the housing of the Epirus Theatre Organization as well as the conversion of the space from a warehouse storing pipes and valves to a Gallery. Another argument against the proposal was that studies had been carried out and voted on for the construction of a Shopping Centre; therefore, such a change of mind on the use of the site was not justified. The Mayor argued that projects related to art and culture were equally important! Despite strong disagreements, the City Council decided, by majority vote, to make the former Municipal Baths building available for housing the Municipal Gallery, after proper reconditioning and the addition of an extra storey. Furthermore, the Ioannina Municipality’s Technical Services Department was instructed to carry out a study for the storey addition and for conditioning the rest of the building to make it suitable for housing. In the summer of 1980, the Architectural Study for the conversion of the Municipal Baths building into an Art Gallery was approved. Due to the huge amount of money required to implement the project, the Mayor contacted Ioannis Kamperis , who agreed to undertake it. Some City Councillors expressed their objection, but the Mayor assured them it was due to Mr. Ioannis Kamperis’ willingness to create something worthwhile that he assigned the Gallery project to him. Thus, on June 25, 1980, the City Council concluded and decided, by majority vote, to accept the donation of John Spyridon Kamperis for the reconstruction and addition of an extra floor to the building of the Gallery (formerly Municipal Baths). It was also decided that the work should be carried out according to the architectural study prepared by the Municipal Technical Services Department, which would be responsible for supervising the works. However, in the summer of 1981, the Ministry of Culture and Science ceded the former Royal Pavilion for the housing of the Ioannina Gallery.

As such, there was the immediate need to modify the decision and the Mayor requested John Kamperis to terminate the project. Owing to these developments, the following two considerations were put forward:

• Either to create a traditional Municipal property on the site
• Or to construct a building to relocate the Library.

The City Council unanimously decided to relocate the Zosimaia Library. It is worth noting that its books had found a home in the central building of the National Bank (today's Town Hall), donated by the Bank to house the Zosimaia Library in 1959, under the presidency of Metropolitan Seraphim. After intense disputes and claims for twenty-one years on the part of the Municipality of Ioannina, which ardently wished to cancel the installation of the Zosimaia Library to alternatively house its Municipal Departments in the building, in 1980, the Kamperis donation was accepted. This would finance the addition of an extra floor and the configuration of the space in the former Municipal Baths building, which was intended to house the Gallery. Following the positive statement from the Library's Board of Trustees, under the presidency of the Bishop of Ioannina, Kyros Theoklitos, the donor NBG was requested to approve the relocation and the release and final concession of the ground floor of the its building for the installation of the Town Hall. Eventually, the former Municipal Baths building was remodelled and a floor was added to house the Zosimaia Public Central Historical Library. The property was granted to the “Zosimaia Library in Epirus” by “Deed creating an incorporeal right of restricted personal servitude of 10,000,000 drachmas” no. 18539/08-12-1986 drafted by the Notary Public Ioannis Kon. Lentzaris [Deed between the Municipality of Ioannina (Charilaos Tolis) & the Zosimaia Library in Epirus (Theoklitos)].