In July 2023 the laying of the first stone and now – just a year later and within the announced timeframe – the opening and presentation to the public: the new municipal crèche, part of the project to redevelop the Manifattura Tabacchi Florence (MTF) complex, is ready.
The cutting-edge site, made entirely from wood and immersed in nature, will open its doors to up to 100 children from September. Designed as a kind of “scattered” public square, the building consists of classrooms, educational workshops and rooms for relaxing and food preparation: all of the spaces look out onto green areas which as well as the garden include learning gardens, fruit trees, a composting station and tables for outdoor workshops.
The crèche was unveiled in the presence of the Mayor of Florence, Sara Funaro. Representing CDP Real Asset was Guglielmo Calabresi, head of the Development Fund, who underlined how the project was emblematic of the CDP Real Asset approach based on the positive impact that investments in the community can make in terms of urban regeneration. An activity that rehabilitates entire areas of our cities that have been abandoned and unused for some time, restoring them to the community.
The crèche forms part of MTF’s urban redevelopment project which aims to make large areas available for public use: of the 110,000 m2 of space subject to redevelopment, 13,000 m2 is made up of areas managed by the local council, including those earmarked for the crèche or Teatro Puccini. Another 10,000 m2 consists of private areas made available to the community, such as squares, roads and parks, which are already accessible to the local population.