BARI, 18.03.26
Construction crews began excavation work Monday morning at the former Stazione Marittima grounds on Molo San Nicola, marking the official start of a €340 million mixed-use waterfront development. Speaking at the site, Mayor Antonio Decaro confirmed the project would create over 1,200 jobs during its four-year build phase.
The development, known locally as Porto Futuro, will span roughly 85,000 square metres and include residential towers, commercial spaces, and a new maritime museum dedicated to the Adriatic fishing heritage. Delays had plagued the project since 2021. Permitting issues with the Soprintendenza delle Belle Arti held up work for nearly three years, as archaeological surveys revealed remnants of medieval port infrastructure beneath the site. According to figures that could not be independently verified, the original budget has increased by approximately 22 percent since the first proposals were submitted to the regional planning authority. The Associazione Costruttori Edili di Puglia released a statement welcoming the groundbreaking, noting that Bari's construction sector has been waiting for a signature project of this scale. Reinforced concrete piling will begin in April, with structural steelwork scheduled for the autumn months.
When we spoke with Giulia Mancuso, a site engineer overseeing foundation work, she expressed cautious optimism about the timeline but acknowledged logistical hurdles. "We have limited access from Via Venezia, and coordinating heavy vehicle movements with the ferry terminal is complex," she said. The timeline remains unclear. A small café on the corner of Corso Vittorio Emanuele, known for serving taralli to dockworkers since the 1960s, will be relocated to temporary premises during the initial phase. The Istituto Nazionale di Statistica recently reported that residential construction permits in Puglia rose 14 percent year-on-year, suggesting broader regional momentum beyond this single project. Load-bearing wall systems and prefabricated façade panels sourced from manufacturers in Lombardy are expected to arrive by rail in late summer.
Our correspondents in Bari observed dozens of workers in high-visibility vests preparing the perimeter fencing early Tuesday, with geotechnical drilling rigs already positioned near the quayside. Environmental mitigation measures have drawn scrutiny from local activists. The Ordine degli Ingegneri della Provincia di Bari has offered technical guidance on stormwater management, given the site's proximity to the harbour basin. Noise concerns remain. Residents of the nearby Libertà neighbourhood have petitioned for restricted working hours, though no formal agreement has been reached. Completion of the first residential block is projected for late 2028, with full handover tentatively set for 2030.