On December 5, 2023, the La Spezia Port System Authority marked a significant milestone by signing the tender contract for the construction of the new cruise pier on Calata Paita. President Mario Sommariva and Eng. Davide Adreani, representing the consortium awarded the contract (comprising Fincosit srl, R.C.M Costruzioni srl, and Agnese Costruzioni srl), formalized the agreement at the Authority's headquarters.
The procurement contract, overseen by Eng. Fabrizio Simonelli, amounts to EUR 47,894,834.75, with an additional EUR 542,461.80 allocated for security charges. Co-financed by the PNRR complementary fund, the contract anticipates a duration of 710 days for the completion of the new cruise pier.
Integral to enhancing La Spezia's cruise offerings, the new infrastructure aligns with the broader redevelopment and repurposing initiative for the La Spezia waterfront in the first port basin, emphasizing its transformation into a tourism-centric hub.
Motivated by the sustained interest from major cruise companies like Costa, RCI-Royal Caribbean, and MSC, among others, the new Cruise Pier project envisions a trapezoidal-shaped structure covering 16,900 m2. The pier, featuring an open deck on cellular caissons, includes two quays measuring 393 m (1289 ft) and 339 m (1112 ft) in length, designed to accommodate two state-of-the-art cruise ships with capabilities for cold ironing. Additionally, the pier incorporates a multifunctional square, serving as an interchange hub between ship and land, initially facilitating primary disembarkation functions and subsequently forming the foundation for a significant portion of the new Maritime Station.