Coima accelerates on Rome, investments of 1 billion in the last year and a half

Coima is reinforcing its presence in Rome with investments that in the last year and a half have reached approximately EUR 1 billion, confirming the renewed ferment that the capital is experiencing and the interest in the city of the group led by Manfredi Catella. The occasion to take stock of ongoing projects was the opening of the doors of the former Guido Reni barracks and Galleria Sciarra.

The former Barracks is in fact one of the most important projects at the centre of Coima's Rome strategy, an area of about 5 hectares that has been abandoned for years. The project, entrusted to Coima by Cdp Real Asset in November 2025, envisages an overall transformation of the area with a five-year timetable starting in July 2026 with the architecture competition and, from November, the subsequent design phase. The construction sites should concretely start in October this year with the first demolition and reclamation phase lasting until October 2027, and then the construction phase will begin in the summer of 2028. The intervention includes demolition of obsolete buildings, soil and groundwater remediation, along with the preservation and enhancement of some historic buildings. The plan envisages an articulated functional mix with private and social residences, commercial spaces, and public facilities and services. The project includes the Flaminio Civic Centre, with a library and civic centre, and - as part of the extraordinary contribution - the construction by the municipality of Rome of a science centre of international importance, the Science Museum.

Alongside Guido Reni, Coima is also working on Galleria Sciarra, one of the most outstanding examples of covered walkway in the capital. The project involves restoration and conservation works on the entire complex, with particular attention to the frescoed facades and the glass roof of the skylight. The works, which began after the Superintendency's authorisation obtained in November 2025, will last approximately ten months and will be completed by the end of 2026, with a total investment of approximately 1 million euro.

In the city, Catella's SGR has also completed the redevelopment of Palazzo Roma, in Via del Corso 337, and is pursuing further projects including the redevelopment of Palazzo Monte, in the Campo de' Fiori area, and a nine-storey building in the Trastevere district, confirming an approach focused on the enhancement of existing assets and the recovery of historical assets. "Rome is an extraordinary city precisely because it arrives late to the theme of urban regeneration," commented Catella during a European forum dedicated to institutional real estate investments held yesterday in Rome. "If we had had this same conversation ten years ago, the agenda would have been completely different, while today we can start from a more evolved awareness that integrates economic, social and environmental dimensions. In this sense, the fact of being 'late' is not necessarily a disadvantage; on the contrary, it represents an opportunity to set up more contemporary and structured transformations'.

Coima's owner went on to point out that 'today Rome is at a real turning point, similar to what Milan experienced between 2000 and 2010. The timing is therefore particularly interesting, but it is not enough on its own: a decisive element is the change in governance'. According to the manager, the central theme will be the repurposing of existing assets: 'In Rome, more than in other cities, there is a very significant heritage, mostly public, that can be transformed and brought back to life. We are already working in this direction, for example with Poste, on the conversion of historic buildings into contemporary functions'. The SGR's initiatives are part of a context in which Rome is strengthening its role as a strategic market for urban regeneration, attracting institutional investors and international capital interested in projects with a high economic, social and cultural impact.