Municipality Launches €2.5 Billion Projects Including Cemetery, School, and Water System Upgrades
Expansion of the Castello cemetery, renovation of the former elementary school in Scalette, and optimization of the aqueduct systems. In total, these interventions amount to nearly two and a half billion euros. “However, the funding already exists and is only partially borne by the Municipality,” explains Brenzone mayor Giovanni Zappalà. “We are preparing the tender processes and expect to complete the various works by the end of the year. These are quite significant projects that were already scheduled in the public works program of 2000. Back then, they could not be initiated due to a series of bureaucratic delays, so they have been reinserted into this year’s program, which will be presented at the next municipal council.”
Renovation of the former Scalette school
One of the most substantial financial interventions concerns the renovation of the former school building located in Scalette, opposite the current elementary school. “The old building will be transformed into a series of rooms for various uses,” explains the mayor. On the ground floor, there will be a kitchen and a cafeteria that are missing in the new structure. The second floor will house an auditorium with 70 seats, which can also be used as a conference room, as well as a library and a room for the municipal historical archive.
“We have documents and records dating back to around 1870,” states the mayor. Currently, they are stored without any order. Once the new space is completed, the municipality also plans to hire an archivist to organize the old documents, thereby creating a publicly accessible historical archive.
Funding and work on the archive and aqueduct
The estimated cost is 920 million euros, of which 490 million euros are a contribution from the Veneto Region. An additional 300 million euros have been allocated from regional funds to build the second section of the municipal aqueduct. “Overall, the project will cost 702 million euros,” states the mayor. For the 402 million euros borne by the Municipality, a loan has already been taken to supplement the contribution from the Region.
Regarding the aqueduct, the project involves constructing a new water network between Castelletto di Brenzone and Marniga, as well as optimizing the distribution systems in Castelletto. “Basically, there will no longer be water pumping into the network; instead, a storage tank will be built from which water will be distributed,” explains the mayor.
Cemetery expansion and street lighting upgrade
The executive project for the expansion of the Castello cemetery, including widening the access road, is nearing completion. In this case, the total cost, fully covered by the Municipality, will be 500 million euros. The expansion of the cemetery in Castello and the widening of the access road have been allocated a budget of 500 million euros.
Another 600 million euros are allocated for completing the upgrade of the street lighting system and extending it along the road from Pai to the border with Torri del Benaco. “This intervention is expected to start in the fall, and the municipal technical office is currently finalizing the executive project,” states the mayor. The aim is to improve visibility in that particular section of road. Unfortunately, motorists tend to drive fast, and fatal accidents have already occurred due to poor lighting.