Listen to the audio version of the article
Ribbon cutting with a view of the Medici walls, this morning, in Livorno, for the redevelopment of Officine Storiche, which consists of 42 apartments (of which 70% already sold) and a retail area which extends over a surface area of 16,200 m2 of gross surface area, with 5 medium-sized surfaces, 21 points of sale and a 4,700 m2 fitness center. The redevelopment, begun in 2019 (and suspended for a year during the pandemic) – which saw an investment of around 50 million euros – is part of the broader urban regeneration plan of the multifunctional waterfront of Porta a Mare, a complex that extends over ten hectares, corresponding to the piers that surround the Nuova Darsena and the Medici Pier of the ancient port of Livorno.
A long redevelopment
A story – that of the redevelopment of an area exceeding 70 thousand square meters – which has dragged on for twenty years, between authorization processes, bureaucracy, private objectives and public service needs, constraints of the Superintendence.
Between what has already been redeveloped and what is about to be inaugurated today, IGD Siiq – which entered the game way back in 2007 and has already completed the construction of the Mazzini Department, Palazzo Orlando and the Clock Tower – has already invested around 150 million of euros (two thirds of that 200 million total value of the investment which should also include a hotel project and a further proposal for residential diversification which is currently being discussed with the municipal administration and the Superintendence).
A further development, that of the hotel, residential and entertainment sectors – in which One Works is also involved – which is not in the core business of IGD Siiq and for which the company aims to sell the area (provided with approved authorization processes) to one or more specialized developers.
«With the inauguration of Officine Storiche – said Claudio Albertini, CEO of IGD – we complete a long journey that we have carried out over the years with the aim of giving a new look to a central area particularly rich in meaning for the city. Furthermore, for the first time we have carried out an intervention in a mixed use logic, while satisfying the new needs and requests of the territory. These positive premises make us optimistic that the project will meet the favor and interest of a wide range of people, attracted by the many opportunities offered”.
«This year the city has seen an increase in tourist flow of 18% – said Luca Salvetti, mayor of Livorno -. Our goal, in addition to giving back to the community, an area that has a strong identity and belongs to the history of this city, is also to increasingly become a quality attractive center, not only for citizens, but also for ferry drivers. and cruise passengers.”