From Olympic Village to student residence: 140 million and 30 months of work

The Milan Olympic Village has been handed over to the Milan Cortina 2026 Foundation by the real estate development group Coima. Record time for a 140 million contract work, completed in 30 months with the construction management by Cmr, and which will be converted just as quickly, between March and July 2026, into a 1700-room student residence, destined to cover 6% of the room requirement, which students can already begin to book today.

But it is precisely on the student residence that some controversy continues, given that although it has an agreement with the City of Milan, it will cost an average of 864 euro per bed, even though thanks to Cdp's intervention, the number of places at subsidised rates has risen from 150 to the current 450 (at 592 euro per month). The average cost was recalled yesterday, on the occasion of the inauguration in the Porta Romana area, by the Minister for Infrastructure Matteo Salvini, who on the one hand applauds the delivery of the work ready for next year's Winter Olympics, and on the other hand chastises Palazzo Marino, administered by the centre-left. "I believe that the City of Milan could have been even more incisive in the negotiations with the private sector, but never say never. Perhaps a downward reflection could have been made, the beds certainly cost less than the average 1,100 for a student bed in Milan, but given that this will all remain private property, perhaps a downward adjustment could have been made'. But on the day of the handover, all eyes are on the fact that the Milan structure has been completed on schedule, while the progress of the PalaItalia, in the Santa Giulia district, where men's hockey is to be hosted, remains uncertain.

Another sibylline sentence from Minister Salvini, who says he hopes that 'what has not been done in the past will be done now, there are only 129 days left, we must not waste time'. The Olympic Village meets all the ESG criteria and has a high level of environmental sustainability. During the inauguration, the architectural design, signed by Som, was highlighted. It focuses on the quality of life for students with 42 study rooms, two gyms, sports fields, communal kitchens, green areas and social spaces. There is no shortage of essential services, including 24-hour security, concierge, laundry and 380 bicycle parking spaces. The transformation of the Village into a student residence is part of the plan for Scalo Romana, a neighbourhood that will host social housing, public housing and cultural functions. "It is a challenge we have ahead of us, where the conversion from an Olympic village to a student residence will have to be very quick," says Coima CEO Manfredi Catella. "It is a work realised 100% with Italian companies and suppliers and is an example of public-private collaboration. The student-village is part of the 50% affordable housing in the new neighbourhood where, thanks to a collaboration between the developer, cooperatives and funds, 320 flats will be built between subsidised housing and public housing. "The agreement signed between the Workers' Cooperative Consortium and Coima envisages the construction of about 220 dwellings in subsidized housing, which will then provide resources for another 100 dwellings in public housing, permanently public in use but private in ownership. An important innovation," comments Alessandro Maggioni, president of Ccl.