Forum Como will create ‘a city in the city’ close to Como city centre
Today, ground was broken for the development of Forum Como, a project regenerating a former industrial area in the city of Como, a midsize town located in northern Italy very close to the Italian-Swiss border. Forum Como is a 42,000 mē multifunctional project combining 15,000 mē of residential, 8,500 mē of retail, a 3,000 mē hotel, 4,700 mē of services, a fitness centre, and a museum surrounded by 22,000 mē of public parks and areas. Developer is Multi Development-C Italia. The master plan is from T+T Design. Opening is planned for 2010.
An amazing evening show, which was organized in close collaboration with the Como Municipality and attracted a significant number of authorities and citizens, marked the start of the demolition of the existing main building. It was a long-awaited event that put an end to over 20 years of decay for an area located in the heart of Como and yet cut off from the city.
Forum Como will create a new city district with the development of a 24-hour lifely area that will also promote the growth of the surrounding areas. The project is multi-functional and involves new housing, retail, tertiary services, and activities. Abundant green areas, public areas, and squares linked by pedestrian connections will create a place that combines Italian flavour and European standards of inner city centres.
Benno Van Veggel, Director of Multi Corporation Southern Europe, said: “Forum Como is an essential element in the regeneration of the city of Como. The new scheme has tremendous potential and will benefit the local business community and its customers, and will also be a major factor in attracting shoppers to Como from further afield. It will broaden the city’s range of offerings, rejuvenate the area, create cohesion, and add new life to the city through its retail and residential content”.
Mauro Mancini, Managing Director of Multi Development-C Italia, stated that Forum Como will meet the various demands of the city with an exciting scheme that will not only reconnect previously separated urban areas but also bring a new lease of life to this part of the city.
Stefano Bruni, Mayor of Como, said: “This day has been long-awaited as Ticosa became a symbol of former city administrations ineffectiveness. Today, Como citizens finally see our engagement for regeneration fulfilled.”
Roberto Formigoni, President of Region Lombardy, said: ”Projects such as Forum Como are a tangible sign of the truly effective collaboration between public and private parties. I’m sure the new Ticosa district will boost the economic and social life of Como.”
Forum como
Forum Como is located in the former Ticosa area, just south of the historical centre of Como. The location is very interesting, with two main roads from Milan and Bergamo converging in the area. High-density residential neighbourhoods will benefit from new services as well as from shops and wellness facilities. The new cultural centre will attract many visitors, with easy accommodation in the three-star hotel to be developed within the area. Easy access will be secured by abundant underground parking.
The scheme benefits from the geographic location of the site and will effectively create a 3-level project with a ground-level public park, squares, and pedestrian walkways. Shops and services will be at boulevard level, with housing on top.
Forum Como is the first regeneration in Como of a former -industrial site driven by a totally new design that integrates all the facilities expected only in inner city centre areas. It will be a ‘city in the city’, a pleasant place to live in and a laboratory for the future.
Multi Development-C Italia
Multi Development-C Italia is the Italian subsidiary of Multi Corporation. It was established in 2004 with the aim to operate on the Italian market as developer and investor in projects with a highly innovative content as well as bringing great significance to the local bodies involved. Multi Development-C Italia is developing projects in Reggio Emilia, Rome, Palermo, Como and Turin.
Multi Corporation
Multi Corporation comprises a group of companies carrying out various disciplines throughout Europe in property development (Multi Development), investment (Multi Investment), asset management (Multi Asset Management) and mall management (Multi Mall Management). With a Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund as its new financial partner, MULTI has strengthened its position to become an investing developer and move forward on its path to further growth. MULTI’s strategy is and remains focused on developing projects in European countries where significant growth is expected.
Across Europe, MULTI’s inner-city projects, shopping centres and business parks appeal to peoples’ imagination. The ‘Design & Development’ formula strongly focuses on design quality and MULTI has its own design group - T+T Design - for urban development and architectural concepts. MULTI’s projects are internationally recognized for their original and innovative nature, quality of architectural character and profound sensitivity to the blending of urban design. Our developments regularly act as the engine for regenerating a city or region. By respecting local culture and style we develop projects with which people can easily identify.
Multi Development’s Activities in 18 countries in Europe are conducted from offices in The Netherlands (head-office), Belgium, Luxembourg, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Turkey.