The research center and student residence: A key transition period for the former Snia.

In the center ofRome's Prenestino district, a biodiversity research center is planned for the former site of the Snia Viscosa factory. It is also planned to create classrooms and dormitories for students. This hypothesis came after protests by associations and committees of Pigneto, a complaint by the newspaper Repubblica and the refusal of the municipal assessor for urbanism, Maurizio Veloccia, to build a cargo port for the shipment of goods.

The owners of the site, Pulcini, have already handed over the land to a management company, announcing that they refuse to convert the old warehouses into a logistics and commercial center.

The proposed solution

The owners have thus offered the municipality to cooperate with the''by Sapienza University to convert a former factory site next to a lake, which already falls partially under restrictions as a "natural monument", into lecture halls, student dormitories and a laboratory for the study of the natural and urban environment in order to develop hypotheses and programs for environmental sustainability, where Cirbises, the Inter-University Center for Biodiversity, would be the main role.

Letter from Sgr spa

A letter from Sgr spa, the company that is to carry out the promotion of construction works on the site of the former Snia Viscosa, which holds the building permits and whose constructions have already begun, was sent to the Mayor of Gualtieri, Assessor Veloccia and IMF Secretary of State Federico Freni: "As part of the regeneration project''cities real estate complex can be the center of an important national university program involving the public and private sectors'.

Alternative solutions

As an alternative, the municipality could carry out a buyout of the area at market value, followed by environmental clearance and the establishment of university services at its own expense or through a project financing scheme. Or turn the area into a public park. These options were presented at a meeting on October 17 between Assessors Sabrina Alfonsi (Environment) and Veloccia, who were accompanied by seven experts, with representatives of the association "Il Lago che combatte".

This path would be difficult for the municipality, however, because of the high costs involved. "Just for the buyout - answered Veloccia - would require 5 million and 150 thousand euros, as estimated by the offices of the Roman capital. Without taking into account the costs of possible environmental cleanup." However, for the owners, this amount for redemption is "underestimated" because "a property in a neighboring zone of smaller area was valued higher".

The only fact reported from the municipality at this point is that there is no room for speculative manipulation, as was the case in''past: the purpose is to acquire the site for public use, through the sale of university services or through a buyout.