The investee company Patrimonio Messina Spa, chaired by Maurizio Cacace, has completed the purchase of the former Gife, a historic property located in the heart of the Ferrovieri district. The operation, made possible thanks to the use of PINQuA funds (National Innovative Program for the Quality of Living), comes a few months after the acquisition of the former Ferrotel, which took place last December 3, thus completing public control over a strategic quadrilateral of the city to be allocated to the housing emergency and social housing.
Investments and timing: 30 new homes by 2026
The intervention is based on a wide-ranging financial and technical plan which envisages a purchase cost of 2 million and 100 thousand euros, to which will be added an estimated investment of approximately 3 million euros for the renovation works. The final objective is the redevelopment of 30 new homes of various sizes, designed to flexibly respond to the different needs of Messina families. The use of PINQuA financing allows building recovery to be integrated with a vision of sustainable urban regeneration, with the expectation of completing the recovery works by 31 December 2026.
The Administration’s vision: dignity and urban regeneration
“With the purchase of the former Gife we are giving continuity to a project that began with the redevelopment of the new Via Don Blasco and with the purchase of the former Ferrotel. We are not just buying houses, but we are restoring dignity to an entire neighborhood by offering concrete answers to the housing needs of our community. It is a decisive step towards a more inclusive and modern Messina”, declared Mayor Federico Basile.
Social impact and operational management
In addition to the architectural redevelopment, the operation, taken care of in detail by Piero Picciolo, general director of the company, has a profound social value. Thanks to the synergy between Patrimonio Messina Spa and the Housing Policies Department of the Municipality of Messina, together with the Councilor for Social Policies Alessandra Calafiore, the relocation of 5 families has already been planned, guaranteeing them a dignified and safe housing solution within certain times.
Administrative efficiency and territorial transformation
“The conclusion of this negotiation demonstrates the efficiency of our investee company in translating the programmatic lines of the Municipality into accomplished facts through the strategic use of national funding. Our commitment is now aimed at the redevelopment phase to deliver the 30 apartments by the end of 2026, transforming an abandoned area into a precious resource for citizens”, added the President of Patrimonio Messina, Maurizio Cacace.
State of the art and future objectives of the housing plan
To date, 10 homes have been purchased and delivered to the Municipality for an investment of 1.5 million euros, while 50 homes will be built in the Ex Ferrotel complex and another 136 are already under contract awaiting the deed. With 125 offers currently being evaluated, the objective is to achieve the set goals by 2026, until the funds are completely exhausted.
“Behind these numbers there are not just cold statistics, but life projects that are finally taking shape. Talking about a housing emergency means giving a concrete response to those who, for too long, have lived in uncertainty”, concluded Councilor Roberto Cicala.