Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

Calls for tenders for new contracts. Exceptions for historic premises but only after investigations. Tasca: “Let's clearly define the principles and rules to continue on the path to valorising properties”

Milan, July 30 2019 - Administration's green light for the guidelines for expiring use concessions in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II complex. In view of the termination, in 2020, of 26 rental contracts in the Milanese living room, the methodologies for assigning spaces were clarified by resolution, starting from the desire to continue along the path of public tenders.

The need to use tenders to identify the concessionaire of an asset of public importance was reiterated by an opinion of the ANAC precisely on the Galleria case. The Anti-Corruption Authority has also specified that, based on the same principle, there cannot be a right of first refusal for those who already occupy a shop. The principle of the tender has therefore confined the hypothesis of the automatic renewal of a lease only if there are reasons of higher level public interest. This was also confirmed by a ruling from the Council of State.

"The resolution starts from adhering to these principles, which are the guide that guides us and which will also be valid on future occasions when we will put many expiring premises up for tender". This was stated by the Councilor for State Property, Roberto Tasca, who adds: "The path is clear: tenders for all spaces and automatic renewals only in exceptional and specifically regulated cases, as indicated by the points of this resolution. The Administration moves with the objective of guaranteeing public interest and the competitions have made it possible to transform the Gallery into one of the most visited places in the world with a very high profitability for the benefit of the citizens of Milan".

And it is precisely the mechanism of the tenders that is a priority in any case. In the guidelines approved, the Administration reserves the right to follow the tender procedure in any case, even in the presence of sufficient elements to identify an identity, historical and cultural value of the commercial establishments, and to be able to express the refusal to renew in light of interests that are superior. These interests are identified in the best valorisation of the real estate complex through verticalism (merging ground floors with upper floors), in the need to place significant maintenance interventions at the expense of the concessionaire and in the modification of the commercial category covered by the expired concession.

The managers of the premises who request the renewal of the contract on the basis of the historicity of the sign in the Gallery and the identity value will have to demonstrate and document their request. That is, to be recognized as a historic workshop by the Municipality of Milan and as a historic activity according to the definition of the Lombardy Region. They must have operated in the same premises for at least 50 years, with the same sign and the same product range, as well as demonstrate that the presence of the shop has contributed to the promotion of the cultural and artistic life of the Gallery.

The architectural, valuable and original elements of the shops will be considered essential. And finally, the presence of furnishings of historical and artistic value and the availability to carry out restoration and recovery work on the structural parts of the property under concession will be considered important for the investigation.

The renewal will not allow any changes to the sign for its entire duration.