Taranto and its hinterland absorb about 80 percent of the two’s funds master plan of the Mediterranean Games of 2026. Both the one launched months ago and the subject of the recent inter-ministerial decree (Sport, South and Cohesion and Economy), and the second, additional one, in preparation. The decree already signed, which only awaits registration by the Court of Auditors, has a base of 167 million and the Taranto area gets 140. While the projection on the new master plan, which will presumably use around 73 million, sees 47 in Taranto . A total of 187 million out of 240 of funds allocated to the works will therefore be reserved for the Ionian capital.
The total funds allocated for the Games amount to 275 million, of which 150 in 2022 and 125 at the end of 2023 with the Budget Law. Not all 275 will go to sports facilities between new constructions and renovations. In fact, 35 must be deducted for organizational costs.
At the moment, the 35 are an indicative figure, since we will have to wait for the budget to be prepared by the general director Carlo Molfetta together with the area managers. It could also be a little less, for example around 30 million. There are therefore 167 and 73 million jobs (the latter to be confirmed).
The details
In detail, the largest share goes to Iacovone equal to approximately 20 million (in addition to the first 28 million already allocated) and the additional one for the new PalaRicciardi (which will be a multi-purpose facility) of approximately 5 million. Another 5 million would then be used for the renovation of the now abandoned Magna Grecia complex (tennis courts) and a further 5 million would absorb the skate park, skating rink and car park in the Salinella district near the stadium.
The Iacovone and PalaRicciardi projects have been completely revisited compared to the initial approach, while others, from Magna Grecia to the skatepark, have been added. The last two interventions, together with another 20 million of works for Iacovone, will go into the new masterplan being prepared.
Taranto, therefore, drains the greatest resources among those put on the table for the Games. And it fits, because in 2019 the twentieth edition of the Games was assigned to Taranto and at various levels (from ministers Raffaele Fitto and Andrea Abodi to the commissioner of the Games Massimo Ferrarese to the president of the international committee, Davide Tizzano) it has always been said that Taranto must be the focus of the event which in two years will attract around four thousand athletes from the Mediterranean area. Of course, Taranto took a big risk with the many delays accumulated, so much so – as Tizzano recently revealed and Quotidiano had already talked about it – that the International Committee, last October, examined the possibility of moving the event elsewhere.
Then the situation was taken up again at the last minute by the commissioner and the transfer of the Games averted. However there is still much to be done. For example, if the approval of the Court of Auditors for the decree on the 167 million does not arrive, Ferrarese cannot start with the tender notices. And the importance of this approval arriving as soon as possible has already been highlighted to the ministries. Furthermore, the new master plan will include plants and municipalities that were not included in the first. Out of 73 million, excluding the 47 for Taranto, there would be around thirty left. Among the situations to be recovered is Francavilla Fontana, who with 6 million between stadium and arena was already in the first program and was removed.
But other resources can come from savings from tenders. Assuming a reduction of at least 10 percent on the amounts, another 20 million could be recovered. Money that would go towards the renovation of the roads for the cycling circuit, with departure and arrival in Taranto.
Other open issues are the verification of the projects and the launch of tenders. Today we are awaiting the proposed agreement from Invitalia, a public company, which should be in charge of the checks and competitions for the swimming stadium and nautical center in Taranto and the Lecce stadium. The proposal will be transformed into a framework agreement. For two other works, the stadium and PalaRicciardi, Sport and Salute, also public, is in charge of checks and competitions.
And this afternoon the next meeting of the organizing committee will also be decided, which will certainly be held in the following week, in which DG Molfetta will present the organizational chart, the operational structure of the Games.
We can proceed with the selection and contractualization of the figures needed as the committee already has just over 2 million in cash, which is extra compared to the 275 from Coni and the Municipality. The first credited 1.6 million (those initially given to the old committee) and the second 500 thousand euros (which are a remittance from the Region). Finally, the mayors of Francavilla Fontana, Oria, San Giorgio Ionico and Sava have been summoned for tomorrow morning.
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