Naples, 1 billion investments for the railway area in the east

We are once once more talking regarding urban regeneration in Naples and the spotlight is back on the big projects, primarily for the Eastern area. This time the icebreaker is Sistemi Urbani, the leading company of the Urban Polo of the FS Italiane Group, which has prepared a great project, presented yesterday, at the headquarters of the Industrial Union during the “Naples that will come” event, to interested stakeholders and investors: we are talking regarding the “Naples Porta Est” Plan for which the international tender notice is regarding to be published design.

The “Napoli Porta Est” project focuses on the areas of the former FS freight yard of Corso Lucci and Porta Nolana: an area which overall extends over 180 thousand square metres, in which the covering of the tracks between Porta Nolana (now the station Eav terminal) and Central Station. The latter becomes an intermodal hub connected to the motorway, port and airport. Public and private investments of 1 billion are expected for the entire project. Of these, 700 million of state funds will go to infrastructure. An initial loan of 100 million has been approved and is intended for the new EAV station in Piazza Garibaldi. The tender has been assigned, there has been an appeal and the TAR is awaited. The actual urban redevelopment part will be the responsibility of private individuals, in the area which also includes the port and business centre. For the implementation of the project, on 11 September the Campania Region, the Municipality of Naples, Eav (circumvesuviana and cumana), RFi and FS Sistemi Urbani signed a program agreement which provides, among other things, for the international design competition for the drafting of the Masterplan including the design of the headquarters of the Campania Region. «We worked in synergy with local institutions in a tight timeframe – specifies Umberto Lebruto, CEO and director of FS Sistemi Urbani – a model that can set the tone». RFI has an investment plan of more than 23 billion throughout Campania, which includes high-speed infrastructure, regional and metropolitan connections.

The redevelopment to the east is part of a broader process which also includes interventions in the Campi Flegrei area. In short, Naples confirms itself as a city in which urban regeneration can have important economic and social repercussions. A study by Scenari Immobiliare reveals that regeneration processes will affect approximately 3.5 million square meters (3% of the municipal territory) by 2050. In particular, as Mario Breglia, president of Scenari Immobiliari, explained, the development of the former railway yards, partly owned by FS Sistemi Urbani for approximately 45 hectares, can produce added value of approximately 700 million. “Let’s give priority to infrastructure and overcome the stagnation of 20 years,” said the mayor of Naples Gaetano Manfredi. “We have projects for 7 billion – clarified the governor of Campania, Vincenzo De Luca – construction sites for 6 billion are underway”.

De Luca, in a discussion with the president of Confindustria Napoli, Costanzo Jannotti Pecci, lamented the poor reaction of industrialists in the face of the government’s actions “which block the South: FSC blocked, single SEZ, differentiated autonomy”. «We take on a role of stimulus and proposal – replied Jannotti Pecci -. We ask for the release of the funds, on the Zes we appreciated the extension to the entire South. Now we ask for it to be operational. As for differentiated autonomy, then, we are the ones who were the first to oppose it.”