Salò Plans Asset Sales and Projects to Boost Revenue and Development

There is not only the sale of the old sports field “Amadei” (11,500 sqm with the possibility of building 13,000 cubic meters, generating an expected revenue of four and a half billion lire) planned by the Salò administration. In 2000, the former Coen building and four apartments on Rive are also scheduled for auction, valued at 800 million lire. In the future, Palazzo Tosi-Gentili (two and a half billion lire) will also be included. “Investments are primarily based on the asset disposal plan,” explains Nicola Scotti, the Assessor for Budget – “and only for an amount of six billion lire (over three years) through taking out loans.”

Projects and Expected Revenues

A significant component of revenue comes from urbanization charges (some variations to the Master Plan are under consideration, requested by private individuals). By 2002, the Polo’s forecast predicts income of four billion lire, in addition to revenues from granting property rights to areas currently under surface rights.

“In the past, we convened cooperative managers who had built affordable housing,” Scotti explains. “The law allowed them to buy back their land at prices set by the Tax Office. Furthermore, the approval of the majority of members also bound the minority. However, responses were negative due to high values and the difficulty in reaching agreement within each cooperative.”

Now the regulation has changed. Each member can submit a request individually, and the municipality will assess it through its offices. It will be possible to reduce the amounts by up to 60 percent of those previously established by the Ute. We expect to generate 400 million lire from this operation.”

Public Works Planned

But which projects will be carried out? Let’s focus on those scheduled for this year, amounting to a total of nine billion lire. The most significant include: the parking lot in the Carmine area, linked to the realization of the S. Orsola sector (two billion lire), the fourth phase of the eco-friendly road connecting Valle to Campoverde, with related connections (1.2 billion), coverage of the stands at the new stadium and the construction of the soccer field near the swimming pool (950 million), maintenance of patrimonial assets (700 million), the first phase of the new port at Canottieri (600 million), expansion of the cemetery (600 million), sewer systems (500 million), upgrades to systems (450 million), and the water supply network (300 million), signage and parking meters (185 million), the parking lot in Via Gasparo (175 million), the restoration of the street in Renzano’s historic center (150 million), the purchase of office furnishings (130 million), river flood defenses (100 million), the auditorium at the Battisti Technical Institute (100 million), and others.

Smaller amounts include 25 million for Via Lucis and 20 million for open-air performances in the Fermi high school garden.

Reactions and Criticisms

Some remarks from opposition groups. Gianluigi Pezzali of Fiamma Tricolore expressed doubts about selling Palazzo Tosi-Gentili to fund the new high school in Campoverde and about selling Palazzo Coen (“The only access is from Vicolo Mazzolera”).

Vincenzo Zambelli, a member of the Italian Communist Party, sarcastically remarked that the budget does not allocate spending of 1,600 lire for purchasing a SuperEnalotto ticket (“The only way to raise the billions predicted in the budget is to hit the jackpot”), criticized the “valorization of the territory through concrete pouring,” and asked whether the 33 percent increase in parking meter rates, from 1,500 to 2,000 lire per hour, aims to promote commerce and tourism.

Everyone criticized the sale of the “Amadei” sports field. Questions were also raised regarding the redevelopment of the theater, the fact that many urban interventions are carried out under Law 23, the postponement of discussions on age-friendly small apartments in Gazia, and other issues.