CREMONA – The Municipality has decided to terminate, “for non-fulfilment”, the contract stipulated four years ago with the Energos Consortium of Turin, which had won the contract for the redevelopment of the gym in the San Felice district. It was therefore decided not to wait until the natural deadline for the ultimatum launched in recent days, according to which Energos would have to complete the works by June 24th, under penalty of contractual termination. There is also the possibility of a request for compensation for damages. After four extensions, Covid, the adjustment of prices to the increase in the cost of raw materials, the change of the contracting company within the consortium that won the contract, the construction site is in fact still there, amidst the protests of the residents, the Neighborhood and opposition committee in the city council.
«– 60% of the works had been carried out – explained the councilor for public works, Andrea Virgilio». Work that seemed to have stopped in the last year. Therefore – to protect itself – the Municipality had the Consortium sign a deed of commitment, “in order to define the mandatory conditions that must lead to the completion of the redevelopment works of the gym, under penalty of contractual termination”. The consortium had signed and the Municipality had approved the deed. The endless construction site had provoked protests from residents in the past. «Over 10 million euros have been invested in San Felice – Virgilio explained in August. The gym remains an important node, the public works sector oversees the company in the awareness that not all construction sites respect the scheduled deadlines”.
The completion of the works was initially scheduled for 2 March 2021, then it was postponed to 2 June and then to 30 October of the same year. Another extension to 18 May 2022. As mentioned, the construction site should have been completed by 24 June. «But the act of commitment – explained the municipality’s director of public works – Giovanni Donadio — is accompanied by a timetable with some intermediate steps. If they do not respect them, we will accompany them to the door without waiting for June 24th. We already have another company ready to take over. This construction site receives a lot of attention, however we always try to avoid disputes that do not serve the purpose of completing the work.” And Donadio broadens the discussion to the Pnrr, a powerful additive to the engine of the economy of the sector, which now however risks crippling it: «It is a very complicated moment for companies that have already had to deal with Covid, the scarcity of raw materials and the increase in prices. They have had many awards and now they are having difficulty carrying out the work. There are companies that have 60 or 70 Pnrr assignments in their portfolio.”
And perhaps this could be the reason for another construction site stopped, or rather never started: the one for the demolition of the Martyrs of Freedom kindergarten, and the construction of a new school complex which will be dedicated to Mario Lodi. The 4.6 million euro executive project was approved in August 2023, demolition was supposed to begin in October and was then postponed to February. Today the building, condemned following earthquake safety investigations and closed since 2019, still stands. «The construction site – explains Donadio – was handed over at the end of January to the company, which had already been requested. There are bureaucratic times for subcontracting work contracts. But the company that had the contract was also awarded the intervention of the Erp houses in via Valdipado and that for the redevelopment of the sports facilities in the Po area”.
Tags: San #Felice #gym Municipality #dissolves contract
