milano.corriere.it
Saving Milan's Public Pools
An appeal to Milan's mayor urges the city to keep two public swimming pools, Scarioni and Argelati, from being privatized like the Lido, raising concerns about affordability and access.
Italian
Italy
SportsLabour MarketCommunityPublic ServicesPrivatizationCity PlanningPublic Access
Go FitMilan City CouncilPolitecnico Di Milano
Beppe SalaAlessandro CoppolaAntonio LongoFrancesco ArduiniAndrea Zorzi
- What are the main concerns of the people who signed the appeal?
- Signatories to the appeal include university professors, doctors, athletes, and former councilors. They worry that privatization will increase social inequalities and limit public access to these vital community resources.
- Which private company has shown interest in managing these pools?
- Private operators, particularly Go Fit (who also manage the Lido), have expressed interest in both pools, leading to concerns that they will become exclusive and unaffordable, similar to the Lido's privatization.
- Who signed the appeal to keep the Scarioni and Argelati pools public?
- Over 200 people signed an appeal to Milan's mayor, Beppe Sala, urging the city to keep the Scarioni and Argelati swimming pools under public control, rather than privatizing them like the Lido.
- What is the current state of the Scarioni and Argelati swimming pools?
- The Scarioni pool has been closed since 2018 and requires about €20 million in renovations, while the Argelati pool, closed since summer 2023, won't reopen before 2027 and needs significant investment.
- What actions are being taken at the city council level regarding this issue?
- Councilors Angelica Vasile and Alessandro Giungi are working on a resolution to establish criteria for evaluating public-private partnerships for the pools, aiming to ensure public access and affordable pricing.