The Development Agency joins the Venice Foundation as the capital of sustainability
The Development Agency closes its doors. The announcement was made by the city councilor for the Budget Michele Zuin, explaining that the functions and staff of the structure will pass to the Venice Foundation, the world capital of sustainability. Rain of criticism from the opposition. Not so much for the ceased activity, but for the fact that in the previous months various minority council groups had asked to understand the role and functions of the structure born in 2016. «As was foreseeable, the phantom Development Agency will be closed without having realized any – they affirm
the secretary and deputy secretary of the Venetian Democratic Party, Monica Sambo and Danny Carella – We have always expressed all our doubts about the establishment of the Agency which had no clear responsibilities and roles other than that of being a propaganda tool. In fact, the agency only carried out real estate functions without any activity linked to the development of the territory».
In January 2021, the councilors Marco Gasparinetti (Land & Water) and Cecilia Tonon (Venice is yours) presented a question. “Never before should a machine be operating at full capacity to revitalize the city”, their comment. The agency was in fact born “with the aim of becoming an economic tool and interface with national and international investors to enhance the resources of the territory, encourage the development of local entrepreneurship and attract new investments and economic initiatives”. But for the councilors, who questioned the Municipality, it remained an “underutilized” tool.
«A real soap bubble – comment Sambo and Carella – which has not contributed to a real relaunch for the development of the territory. We have never seen a project in the council commission, no discussion in the city council and an absence of credible projects». Councilor Sambo tabled a question and requested access to the files. «We want to have a copy of all the activities carried out by the Agency with public resources – he says – furthermore, conferring skills and personnel of the Agency in the Venice Foundation, World Capital of Sustainability is questionable, given that the institution was financed by private companies, while the the role of the Municipality must be to develop an action autonomously».