Sustainable urban regeneration in Monselice: the former Italcementi enters the demolition phase

A virtuous dialogue between public and private

The regeneration of the area was born from a complex public-private agreement involving the Municipality of Monselice and Roncello Capital Srl of Peschiera Borromeo (MI).

The agreement provides for important works and public benefits, including the transfer to the Municipality of Monselice of 15,000 m2 for new sports facilities and the construction of the road connecting the current Italcementi link road and Regional Road no. 10, strategic infrastructure for local mobility, through the construction of a missing section up to the underpass of via Moralediemo, to reach the Schiavonia hospital.

The regeneration project

The project, which, as mentioned, is configured as a regeneration intervention brownfield without the consumption of new land, it will concern the Northern portion, with the ongoing demolition of the buildings of the former cement plant – where new technological buildings will be built integrated with green spaces – and a functional reorganization of the accesses.

Subsequently, the intervention will proceed, also involving the southern portion, relating to the former Monte Fiorin quarry, which will be affected by an environmental redevelopment project with remodeling of the land. In the area of ​​the former Fiorin quarry, the construction of a photovoltaic park is also planned which, thanks to the morphological conformation of the site and the perimeter wooded strips, will be substantially invisible from a landscape point of view, contributing significantly to the energy transition of the area.

In summary, the regeneration project includes:

• the construction of a photovoltaic park of approximately 24 hectares, intended for the production of energy from renewable sources;
• the transfer to the Municipality of an area of ​​15,000 m2, near the Marendole sports field, for the construction of new sports facilities;
• the conversion of approximately 20 hectares of the former factory into a production area, with the provision of production facilities built using modern construction techniques with low environmental impact;
• the reorganization of internal roads and the creation of a cycle path along the entire sector;
• the construction, by Roncello Capital, of the road connection between the Italcementi link road and the new SR10, through the creation of a missing and strategic stretch for local mobility.

A new perspective for Monselice and the Euganean Hills, the declarations

Massimo Vitali, President of Vitali Spa*:“The challenge of this project is ambitious, but clear: to demonstrate that it is possible to transform a disused industrial area such as that of the former cement factory and the adjoining former quarry into a strategic node for the energy transition, creating a virtuous dialogue between public and private, environment and business, past and future. It is a replicable model, capable of inspiring other territories and of making regeneration a concrete opportunity to innovate and grow. The intervention will bring concrete benefits to the territory of Monselice and Colli Euganean, with new technological and productive settlements, greater employment and new opportunities for businesses and citizens, while at the same time returning usable and valorised spaces to the community, with a view to sustainable development and reduction of environmental impacts.“

Antonio Sala, CEO of Roncello Capital: “Our commitment to investing in the recovery and urban regeneration of the former cement plant area originates from the concrete availability of the institutions and, in particular, of the Managing Director of Monselice, who has chosen to support and accompany this transformation path with conviction, responsibility and strategic vision. When the dialogue between public and private is based on seriousness, coherence and sharing of objectives, the assumption of responsibility by investors is strengthened naturally, oriented not only towards the valorisation of immediate opportunities, but also towards the construction of a solid and Our ambition is to create an organic project deeply rooted in the territory, capable of integrating harmoniously with the local economic and entrepreneurial fabric, generating positive and measurable impacts from a social, employment and environmental perspective. We intend to restore value and function to an area that has been in a state of abandonment for too long, transforming it into a driving force for growth, innovation and renewed urban identity.”

Regional Councilor Giorgia Bedin: “For Monselice and for the people of Monselice it is a historic, unique event. We were born and grew up with the cement plant in operation and then definitively closed in 2015. With the start of the demolition phase, (…) in a short time and it will no longer be there. It was a qualifying point of my electoral program as mayor which is now taking shape, despite no one believing it possible except myself and councilor Peraro. We have demonstrated that regeneration is not just a beautiful word, but a reality in Monselice, considering the many interventions implemented during my mandate.

Alessandro Frirzzarin President of the Euganean Hills Park:“This is undoubtedly an important intervention, which fits fully into the objectives outlined in article 36 of the Environmental Plan and in the candidacy process of the Euganean Hills as a Biosphere Reserve within the UNESCO MAB programme. The regeneration of the site responds to the founding principle of the Institution: to protect and enhance the naturalistic, historical and environmental characteristics of the Euganean Hills territory. We therefore welcome the opportunity to recover this area, which is located a short distance from places of extraordinary interest historical and landscape, such as the Rocca di Monselice and Arquà Petrarca. It is essential that this path has been started and that it is completed with determination, until the set objectives are achieved.”

* Vitali SpA Società Benefit operates in the development and implementation of infrastructure and real estate projects, with activities in the sectors of renewable energy, mobility, digital infrastructure and urban regeneration. The Group has over 35 years of history, more than 300 employees, 7 offices in Italy and 5 production plants, collaborating with public bodies and designers to create interventions aimed at sustainability, accessibility and enhancement of urban spaces.