Desenzano and Rivoltella Lakeside Redevelopment Plans in Garda Municipality
Focusing on enhancing the lakeside areas, the capital of Garda plans to invest as much as 15 billion euros over the next five or six years. The administrators are targeting improvements along Desenzano’s lakeside promenade and the complete redevelopment of Rivoltella, where, apart from the marina with its small beach, there is little else. A European open call for tenders will select the designer for the lakeside promenade that the Municipality intends to realize in Rivoltella. This is the decision adopted the day before yesterday by the Executive Committee (Giunta), which has been considering this initiative for several months as part of the public works plan.
Initially, there was consideration of appointing university professors, but the municipal administration later searched for a designer to be directly contracted. This seemed to be the chosen path, and informal discussions of some project proposals had already taken place within the Giunta. Ultimately, the decision was made to open a tender for the overall and technical design of the first phase of the lakeside walkway.
Interventions and proposals for Rivoltella
The project concerns the Rivoltella area overlooking Lake Garda, which has long been targeted by local groups and associations requesting initiatives and investments aimed at boosting tourism through infrastructural developments. The most debated proposal came from the Piazza Grande Committee, which suggested diverting traffic from the main road in Rivoltella by constructing an underground tunnel between the pharmacy and the gas station past the traffic light.
Additionally, the proposal included enlarging the port, enhancing the lakeside area by renovating Villa Brunati’s square, and creating a walkway between Madonna della Villa and the port. The idea of an underpass is no longer under discussion. Instead, the lakeside promenade project takes off as the first intervention in the lake area.
“We had to resort to a ‘call for tenders,’” explains Mayor Felice Anelli, “because this is mandated by the “Merloni ter” law, which comes into effect in a few days. We didn’t want to take shortcuts. The bureaucratic process will be longer, but I expect to complete it by January 2001.
The initial phase involves an investment of 2.8 million euros within a total forecast of approximately 5 billion euros.” Therefore, next year seems destined for the enhancement of Rivoltella’s lake area for tourism purposes. Meanwhile, work is scheduled to begin on October 1st to revamp Desenzano’s lakeside promenade. The project, developed by arch. Pier Giuseppe Ramella, will soon be presented to the citizens and local businesses.
The first phase will cover the area between the Park Hotel and the Venezian Bridge, with an estimated cost of around 1.5 million euros. The beautification includes re-paving, the addition of fountains, and water features. These works will cause inconveniences, especially to the commercial and tourist sectors, and have repercussions on the Tuesday market, requiring the relocation of some vendors.
Not to mention the main issue: the ongoing fears of future traffic bans. Meanwhile, the Municipality has completed a new bathing facility in Rivoltella, while work on the Oro Beach area remains halted due to the revocation of the authorization by Soprintendenza, following the mayor’s decision that lacked sufficient justification.
After clarifying and deepening the environmental aspects of the intervention, the mayor is preparing to issue a new measure to resume the work. e. m.