Riva Tourism Proposes Upgraded Spiaggia degli Olivi Revamp
The optimism of the president of Lido spa last spring, when he proudly presented the Cecchetto redevelopment plan for the lakefront area, was sincere. It is true that, riding the wave of a “public” project to revitalize the territory and some of the most interesting structures in Riva, the local entrepreneurs are also waking from their stupor with ideas and proposals.
Just recently, the same architect Mauro Malfer, president of Lido, officially received from a newly formed company of Riva tourism operators and ordinary citizens a project that not only intends to manage but also to renovate and expand the Spiaggia degli Olivi: a municipal property whose lease contract with Franco Chemolli, former director and later manager of the nightclub and beach center for half a century, expires in February.
The company proposing to undertake and upgrade the structure, originally designed by Giancarlo Maroni in 1932, is called “Iniziative Turistiche Rivane srl.” To understand the offer in detail, which is already known to the mayor and the City Council, we spoke with two representatives of the company — the well-known hotelier Federico Venturini and the merchant Manlio Patuzzi — along with architect Giorgio Losi, who is technically responsible for the functional recovery proposal of the Spiaggia degli Olivi.
Project Details
It was the designer himself who explained to us (see also sidebar) how the work program was initiated from Maroni’s original ideas, which involved elevating the central structure of the Spiaggia: a concept later adopted by architect Enrico Odorizzi in 1952 but likely abandoned by the Municipality due to financial constraints.
There are three main aspects of the proposal. First: enhancing the beach functions of the Spiaggia to support the hotels in the historic center (hence the idea to build a new lakefront pool open to all). Second: creating a structure suitable for the type of tourists typical of Riva, mainly elderly (therefore including a dance hall and entertainment areas, reading rooms, and spaces for cultural events: this explains the need for elevation).
Third: reorganizing the complex functionally, involving also the Fraglia della Vela. Losi’s project includes a budget and a timeline for the work. The planned investment amounts to 5 billion lire, divided as follows: 1.5 billion for volumetric adjustments (elevation according to Maroni’s old plan; compliance of systems and services); half a billion for the renovation of the Fraglia (original plan with the boathouse facing east); 2.5 billion for the new lakefront pool (a regulation-compliant diving and competition pool with facilities and machinery; a diving platform); half a billion for upgrading the current water mirror (adding specific zones for hydromassage and other accessories).
The project comprises three phases. 1) If the properties are made immediately available, the company will proceed with extraordinary maintenance and updates of the water mirror to allow management of the renewed structure already in the first season, from April to September 2002. 2) Elevation and completion of Maroni’s plan, construction of water treatment rooms and the pool motors: from October 2002 to April 2003. 3) Intervention on the semicircular water mirror, pool construction, and Fraglia system setup: from October 2003 to April-May 2004.
This is the technical plan. In exchange for the 5 billion lire invested (many more when accounting for financial charges), the company requests from Lido and the Municipality a standard commercial lease contract, with automatic renewal options. “Iniziative Turistiche Rivane —” Venturini, Patuzzi, and Losi reaffirmed “— is a company open to all Riva entrepreneurs and citizens who believe in this project.”