MODENA, 18.03.26
Construction crews began excavation work Monday morning on Via Emilia Est for what developers call the largest mixed-use development in Modena's postwar history. The €47 million project, approved last autumn by Deputy Mayor Giuliana Santini, will span 12,000 square metres and include residential units, retail space, and underground parking adjacent to the historic Palazzo dei Musei.
The project represents a significant shift in urban planning priorities for the Emilia-Romagna region, where residential construction has lagged behind commercial development for nearly a decade. According to figures that could not be independently verified, the Italian National Building Statistics Institute recorded a 23 percent decline in new housing permits across the province between 2019 and 2024. This downward trend appears to have reversed. When we spoke with Marco Benedetti, a site foreman with 28 years of experience in reinforced concrete work, he described the atmosphere among tradespeople as cautiously optimistic. "We have not seen this many tenders come through since before the financial crisis," Benedetti said, gesturing toward a row of tower cranes silhouetted against the morning sky. The smell of fresh espresso drifted from a nearby bar where workers gathered before their shift.
Our correspondents in Modena observed a coordinated effort between municipal authorities and the Emilia-Romagna Construction Trade Federation to streamline permitting processes that had previously delayed similar projects by eighteen months or more. Deep foundation piling, a technique essential for building on the clay-heavy soils common to the Po Valley, commenced last week under the supervision of geotechnical engineers from Bologna. The timeline remains unclear. Local officials have suggested completion by late 2028, though several contractors interviewed expressed scepticism about this target given ongoing supply chain disruptions affecting structural steel deliveries from northern Europe. A single cherry tree, centuries old, stands preserved at the site's eastern boundary after residents petitioned successfully for its protection.
Financial backing for the development comes from a consortium led by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and two regional investment funds, with additional support from the European Regional Development Fund earmarked for sustainable building initiatives. The Modena Chamber of Commerce estimates the project will create approximately 340 direct construction jobs over its three-year build cycle, with ancillary employment in materials supply and logistics adding perhaps another 150 positions. Precast concrete elements will be manufactured at a facility in Sassuolo, roughly twenty kilometres southwest. Whether the finished development will include the affordable housing units originally promised remains a point of contention among neighbourhood associations, several of whom have requested meetings with the planning commission scheduled for April.