210 shops, 43 restaurants all spread over 70 thousand square meters (with 5 thousand square meters of internal green areas). And then a maxi multiplex with screens the size of an apartment. These are some of the features of Merlata Bloom, the new maxi shopping center built in Cascina Merlata which opens today, Wednesday 15 November.
The mall is located in the center of the new north-west quadrant of the city of Milan and, as stated in the presentation, it is the “link between Mind and Cascina Merlata, with the new Uptown residential project, Corso Sempione, Viale Certosa and the Gallaratese district “. It stands between the A4 motorway and the Musocco cemetery, in an area that until a few years before the Expo was completely agricultural.
The structure was created by the international studio CallisonRtkl and is characterized by the references between the private open spaces and the public external parts, but also by the dominance of natural light. Then there are 10 thousand square meters dedicated to free time complete with “formats designed specifically for Merlata Bloom”, as stated in the press release. Their location is not random, they are located in the heart of the structure: in the center of the large bridge, a sort of “winter garden” characterized by internal green areas and large windowed areas overlooking the park. Yes, because behind the mammoth building there is a 30-hectare park, two squares and a cycle/pedestrian path that connects the mall with the bike lane of Via Gallarate.
“Large urban regeneration intervention”
The president of Lombardy, Attilio Fontana, and Giancarlo Tancredi, urban regeneration councilor of the municipality of Milan, also participated in the inauguration ceremony. Not only that, Marco Balducci, Board of Directors of Merlata Mall – CEO Nhood Holding were present; Sergio Zuncheddu, president and CEO of Merlata mall; Alessandro Ossena, director of Merlata Bloom.
“It is a commercial reality that connects two large urban regeneration works – declared the president of Lombardy Attilio Fontana -. One, Mind, dedicated to innovation and research; another which is dedicated to residential, housing social. This mix that allows for a new and better way of living together. This is a huge and important inauguration. Many jobs and many positive prospects. It is one of the many initiatives that are born in Lombardy because that Lombard model which is the sanctification of the relationship between public and private”.
“This is the project of a large neighbourhood, perhaps the largest neighborhood in Milan also in terms of social residential housing and subsidized housing. It is not yet complete from the point of view of residences: other ones with subsidized prices and rents will arrive later of rent with the Municipality. But the commercial heart, the services part, was missing. This major intervention completes one of the most important urban regeneration interventions in the city. This neighborhood is part of an even larger purchase because we are very close to Mind and other development areas of the city. The north-west of Milan has been the area of greatest development and interest in recent years. For me Mind, Cascina Merlata and this great work are Milan’s great gateway to Europe “. This was said by the urban regeneration councilor Giancarlo Tancredi, on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Merlata Bloom Milano shopping centre. In the future, in addition to the subsidized housing that will arise, “we have Mind where in two years the new headquarters of the State University will arrive with 20 thousand students. There is already the research center which will be strengthened, there is already the Galeazzi hospital. Then there will be residences, offices, commercial services – explained Tancredi – Then there are other opportunities. For example the Molino Dorino interchange hub. One of the strategies we are trying to promote in the revision of the local government plan is that of redevelopment of these places. Today they are just car parks, tomorrow they could become real urban neighbourhoods, still serving as a car park and interchange but with the urban neighborhoods around them”.
There was no shortage of criticism. “A flood of ‘green’ and ‘glittering’ concrete in Cascina Merlata: the largest unbuilt area in north-west Milan has been devastated – declared Carlo Monguzzi, group leader of the Greens at Palazzo Marino -. The city needed everything less than of a new shopping center of 70 thousand square metres, with 45 thousand of car parks for users. And it had to be a car-free project. Naturally, as the advertising states, it is all almost zero impact, in the sense that all the structures float at 3 meters high and they don’t touch the ground. Naturally it’s the exact opposite of the new and old PGT which says everything is green and no land consumption.”
All shops present
The list of shops is definitely anything but short: there are 210 shops, 43 dedicated to catering. On the ground floor there is an Esselunga supermarket of around 6 thousand square metres, the first in a mall and among the largest in the chain given that the sales areas of the company founded by Bernardo Caprotti rarely exceed 2 thousand square metres. For a long time it was feared that the new store would lead to the automatic closure of the Esselunga commercial center in Baranzate, but no news on this possibility has ever been leaked from the company. Then there is the new Decathlon store which has taken the place of the one in Baranzate, which closed in recent weeks.
Not only that, there are also several “first openings”: brands that have chosen the Milan mall for their first point of sale in Italy. Among these is Neat Burger, a vegan fast food restaurant owned by Leonardo DiCaprio and Lewis Hamilton. Also under the wooden vault of Cascina Merlata there is the first Reserved shop in a shopping center, a store that sells clothing from various fashion brands.
Over 2 thousand jobs
More than 700 workers were employed in the construction phases, and over 3 thousand in the set-up phases. “When fully operational, Merlata Bloom Milano will have a significant positive economic impact on the local community, starting from the employment forecasts which, between direct and indirect collaborators, will lead to approximately 2 thousand new jobs”, the company assures.
The project is managed by the Merlata Mall company, co-financed by Ceetrus, ImmobiliarEuropea and SAL Service. Merlata Bloom Milano is managed and marketed by Nhood Services Italy since the design phase.
How to get to the Merlata Blooom shopping center
The shopping center is located next to the A4 motorway. To get there from Milan just head towards Gallaratese and then take Via Daimler. For those arriving from the A4 motorway, however, just exit at the Pero exit and then follow the signs; from the A8 simply exit at Cascina Merlata. The structure also has a car park capable of accommodating 3,700 vehicles. Some critical points on the traffic front emerged during the morning press preview, when queues formed for almost 2 kilometers on the streets of Milan.
Currently the mall is not served by its own public transport stop (a station will be built by 2026, crossed by trains). You can reach the mall from Molino Dorino (metro M1) and by taking a free shuttle available every day from 7.30am to 11.30pm. The distance between Molino Dorino and the shopping center (1.4km) can also be covered on foot with a 20-minute walk. Finally, you can reach the shopping center via the Atm line 35 bus.
“The mall must take care of the traffic issue”
The inauguration of the shopping center sent traffic in the area into a tailspin. For this reason some local politicians have put forward proposals. “Since this morning we have been collecting videos and photos of traffic in haywire also due to the absence of signs. I believe that the Municipality of Milan should ask the operator until the sales period, at least on holidays, to arrange ad hoc personnel or to bear the cost of public personnel so that wild parking and paralysis of the neighborhood are avoided”. This was declared by the president of Municipality 8 Giulia Pelucchi regarding the inauguration of the new Merlata Bloom shopping center.
“Is it right for the public to pay for private interventions? As with the parking issue, the Municipality of Milan must assert the rights it has in favor of citizens. – added Pelucchi -. At the same time, the parking agreement (45 thousand square meters already served for public use), increase of line 35 and tracing of the parking area at ground level, further guarantee to protect residents given that even the centre’s employees do not have reserved spaces and flock to the car parks at the level of the neighborhood. The material collected will be sent to all the competent sectors on Sunday evening, before the update on Monday at the end of the monitoring of these days”.
The times
The shopping center gallery will be open every day from 9am to 10pm; the supermarket from Monday to Saturday from 7.30am to 10pm, and on Sunday from 8am to 10pm. The restaurant area and the Notorious cinema will be open every day from 9am until late in the evening.
2023-11-15 20:14:08
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