After 75 years, the Modica fruit and vegetable market closes. In its place a children’s city will arise

A villa in the historic center, in a particularly sensitive place as it is the entry point to the city from the Scicli side, from the city of Montalbano. The start of the works already contracted and with a contract already signed with the successful tenderer is scheduled for next week. These works will be carried out thanks to an Urban Regeneration loan of 800 thousand euros. A little less, therefore, than a million euros to restore dignity to a place close to decay. Redevelopment comes first but there is also uncertainty about the future of commission agents who still have the headquarters of their activities in some pavilions. From around twenty boxes, three remain active today, the others have closed over time. The fate of those remaining?

In place of the fruit and vegetable market, a park with a children’s park will be created.

An old project and financing, dating back to the previous municipal administration. A job that the Monisteri council inherited. A crossroads: keep those boxes and lose the funding or give a new face and new services to the city? The second path is certainly more noble. But where will today’s commission agents, those few remaining, go? There had already been talk some time ago of using the areas of the Foro Boario and the hypothesis of identifying new areas for the construction of those boxes necessary for the continuity of the service is difficult to keep alive due to the lack of funds. On the other hand, there is the need to take into account the income linked to these commercial activities: not “taxes” from the offices but sums owed. Over the years, would the sums due and owed for the payment of the occupation of the boxes have entered the coffers of the institution of Palazzo San Domenico, which is in great difficulty, given that the fruit and vegetable market is municipal? An obligatory question today in which tax evasion hinders development. Precisely today when the motto “pay everyone to pay less” is in fashion and, if properly applied, would make it possible to achieve that fiscal equity aimed at guaranteeing welfare and overcoming inequalities.