“Since its establishment in Arcavacata, Cosenza has pursued the presence of Unical in its urban fabric; this was a beautiful dream cherished by all my predecessors which today, together with the rector Leone, whom I thank, we have achieved by projecting the capital city towards a new important path of growth and development”. Mayor Franz Caruso stated this while participating this morning, together with the magnificent rector Nicola Leone, in the inauguration of the new “San Francesco” university residence in S. Antonio dell’Orto (Gergeri district), in the historic center of Cosenza.
“The residential structure – continued Franz Caruso – is located a few steps from the San Domenico Health Professions Center for the creation of which my administration made a great economic sacrifice, investing 5 million euros to recover and adapt the structure to the needs of the University, in order to be able to host both the nursing and physiotherapy courses. The works are partly finished and will be entirely completed by the end of the year.
The intent that guided my action and that of Rector Leone was not only to create this absolutely important health centre, but was also to create a virtuous circuit between the university campus and the city, in such a way as to make the presence on both sides interchangeable. When the courses are fully operational, 800 students will study and be able to live in the heart of our city, restoring luster and vigor to our Historic Center which we are relaunching from every point of view and which with the presence of these young students will also be able to have new economic lifeblood for the commercial activities that operate in it, decreeing its true and definitive rebirth”.
In this regard, Mayor Franz Caruso anticipated the opening of new business activities, including that of a new important hypermarket, “which – he argued – goes precisely in the direction of an economic relaunch that the entire city must now be able to grasp”. Hence Mayor Franz Caruso’s invitation to property owners in the historic center to invest in order to create an adequate offer of residential accommodation, including private ones, for students.
“We know how Unical arose and what arose around Unical – said Franz Caruso – Therefore the opportunity is unmissable for the people of Cosenza who can make use of their heritage, now abandoned, at the service of the university and its students. As far as I’m concerned, I have already anticipated that soon, once the final bureaucratic documents have been completed for the purchase of another building adjacent to the Palazzo di città, we will put Palazzo Ferrari up for sale with the intended use as a residence university, so that, as mentioned, students can fully and completely experience our beautiful city, strengthening the synergistic relationship with Unical. This is a path of integration and exchange that I consider essential for the cultural, social and economic growth of the entire territory. We must, therefore, continue on this path with ever greater conviction and determination, also attracting private initiative”.