MARINA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND CHATSWORTH SCHOOLS PARTNER TO LAUNCH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL AT THE BORGO DEL FORTE CAMPUS
Ventimiglia, 9th January 2024 – Marina Development Corporation (“MDC”) – a company active in urban regeneration related to marinas, wellness and leisure facilities – is partnering with award-winning education provider, and global schools family, Chatsworth Schools (Owner of 15 UK independent schools and nurseries, operator of international schools and government advisors on education) as their chosen school operator to manage the Borgo del Forte Campus, a large, purpose-built international educational and sports campus in the “Campasso di Nervia” area of Ventimiglia.
The Borgo Del Forte Campus will include:- 42,000 square metres of regenerated urban space
- An international school for 800 students, surrounded by a public park
- Student boarding accommodation for 100 children
- Indoor and outdoor sports facilities with associated services
The Campus project is subject to the approval of the ‘Borgo del Forte’ new urban zoning plan, which is currently awaiting the vote of the City Council and which aims to transform Ventimiglia’s waterfront with the construction of a five-star hotel and high-end residences.
The international school at the Borgo del Forte Campus will open to its first pupils in September 2026, subject to City Council approval and a partnership with a property investment partner to enable the construction of one of the landmark elements within MDC’s Ventimiglia waterfront transformation.
The Borgo del Forte Campus, the facilities of which will be operated based on an agreement with the Municipality of Ventimiglia, will be built on the site of the former Campasso railway yard, with the redevelopment of 42,000 square metres, behind the natural area at the mouth of the Nervia River. At the heart of the Campus, the International School will be able to serve a large catchment area (other facilities can only be found in Genoa, Monaco and Nice): developed on a multi-storey building, surrounded by a public park, it will be able to accommodate up to 800 students aged 3 to 18.
The sports facilities will include a year-round indoor swimming pool, a fully equipped gymnasium, changing rooms, services, and a dedicated clubhouse, as well as a multifunctional area for indoor and outdoor activities, all of which will be open to the public.
To the south, the 1,600 square metre former railway depot building will be repurposed and used as a multifunctional centre with a conference hall, exhibition and display area, workshops, and offices, all overlooking a large green park. Finally, the former guesthouse buildings will also be repurposed and used as student accommodation with 100 beds and reception, office, and cafeteria facilities. The Campus will also have over 3,000 square metres of car parking.
Chatsworth Schools’ international school division, Blenheim Schools will be responsible for designing and implementing the educational programme and learning spaces for the international school, managing the activities of the entire Campus and facilitating the integration between the school and the local community, in agreement with the Ventimiglia Municipality.
Residents of Ventimiglia will have “privileged” access through scholarships, discounts on annual tuition fees and reduced rates for access to sports facilities. Outside school hours, some facilities will be available for community service activities. Finally, as the school would become a member of the global Chatsworth Schools family, it will be possible for students from Ventimiglia to gain experience in different institutions, thus increasing their exposure to international contexts. Conversely, Ventimiglia’s visibility will allow it to attract students from abroad.
Giuseppe Noto, Marina Development Corporation’s CEO, declared:
“We are delighted to announce, together with Chatsworth Schools, the establishment of the largest international school in the Liguria Region, a catalyst for significant social, economic, and employment growth for Ventimiglia. We confidently await the adoption of the urban planning variation by the City Council, a crucial step toward the realization of this transformative endeavor.”
Anita Gleave, CEO and Founder, Chatsworth Schools said:
“Chatsworth Schools and Blenheim Schools are delighted to be the chosen international school operator of this visionary new regeneration project in Ventimiglia. We started speaking with MDC a long time ago when the campus and this announcement seemed a distant dream. To be a step closer toward the launch of this truly market changing international school, that also embraces and empowers the local community of Ventimiglia is hugely exciting to both me and all the Chatsworth Schools family.”
The Borgo del Forte Campus is an integral part of ‘Marina di Ventimiglia’, a major urban regeneration project promoted by Marina Development Corporation (‘MDC’), which aims to create a new tourist destination on the seafront of the western Ligurian city, with an Italian vocation but international reach.
Marina di Ventimiglia, with a total investment of 200 million euros, will be developed over a total area of 57,000 square metres. It comprises several projects: the main one, Borgo del Forte, will include the Marina San Giuseppe area, behind the newly opened Cala del Forte marina, owned by Ports of Monaco. It will include a 70-key 5-star hotel – with a gym, wellness centre and restaurant – and 60 high-end apartments with terraces for sale. Each architectural element, built to the highest technological and sustainability standards, will be completely surrounded by greenery and will fit harmoniously into the typical Ligurian morphological landscape, characterised by terraces.
Borgo del Forte, thanks to detailed hydro-geomorphological and seismic studies, will ensure the preventive safety of the waterfront land on which it will be built, a project already approved by the Liguria Region following in-depth studies of the site in coordination with the Regional hydrogeological protection Department. In addition to the services offered by the 5-star hotel, residents of Borgo del Forte will be able to enjoy a 200-square-metre swimming pool and 200 parking spaces, as well as 1,500 metres of public underground parking at the level of the marina. The other main key developments are the construction of the panoramic restaurant La Rocca, located to the west of the Residential and Hotel complex and scheduled for completion by the summer of 2024, and Club Italia, which will transform the “ex ACI” building into a centre of excellence for food and beverage.
This hugely exciting project now, also, presents property investors the potential chance to capitalise on this premium international boarding school venture on the Italian Riviera. MDC welcomes commercial investment enquiries via info@mdc.tl.
For any further information please contact:
Marina Development Corporation (MDC)
Founded in 2020, it provides consulting and property management services to qualified investors for the responsible development of marina-related destinations in the Mediterranean. MDC is currently advising the “BDF” fund for the development of “Marina di Ventimiglia” and the “Pisa in Progress” fund for the urban regeneration project in Marina di Pisa, in both cases as Project and Development Manager.
Roberto Berio – berio@mdc.tl – 348 6511773
Chatsworth Schools
Andrew Elias – marketing@chatsworthschools.com +447572386530
