Jesolo Marina plays major part in coastal plans
Along with the entire Jesolo waterfront, Porto Turistico Jesolo Marina Resort near Venice in Italy is undergoing development. Thanks to the plans of its new controlling shareholder, Stefano Marzotto, a decisive marina upgrade is underway. Donatella Zucca reports
![Porto Turistico di Jesolo, with the River Sile to the right.](https://marinaworld.co.uk/img/photos/mw012327_1.jpg)
Porto Turistico di Jesolo, with the River Sile to the right.
Jesolo Marina is considered to be one of the most modern and best-equipped marinas on the Italian Adriatic and covers an area of approximately 18ha (44.5 acres). Its customer base is 90% Italian and it offers 650 berths of 6 to 30m (20 to 98ft). The basin is well protected by the ‘Porte Vinciane’; a fixed-height mobile barrage that adapts to varying water levels (usually generated by the tide) whose invention is attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. All boaters are issued with an e-card at the beginning of their stay that operates the barrage in sequence: after the first door closes, the second door opens, etc.
The marina is divided into three internal areas, supported by reception and service buildings, and a fourth external section along the left bank of the River Sile. The inner basins are dubbed the Grecale (for boats of 12 to 22m/39 to 72ft) located in front of the reception building and alongside the green area of the swimming pool; the Mistral (for boats of 6 to 20m/20 to 66ft), which runs along the same area and extends up to the fuel station and the shipbuilding centre; and the Libeccio (for boats of 14 to 30m/46 to 98ft), situated close to the green spaces of the camping club and overlooking extensive beaches.
All of the berths are full service and 630 have their own car parking space. Six of these have charge points for electric cars. Twenty-four hour assistance is offered all year round and customers can enjoy a wide range of hospitality services as well as storage, repairs and maintenance for vessels up to 100 tonnes. Repair and maintenance operations take place in a new generation warehouse and yard that is well equipped with an 80 tonne hoist, ten tonne jib cranes and a 40 tonne radio-controlled electric pallet truck.
![A new generation yard is well-equipped for lift, launch and boat maintenance.](https://marinaworld.co.uk/img/photos/mw012327_2.jpg)
A new generation yard is well-equipped for lift, launch and boat maintenance.
All residential housing, commercial and marina buildings are characterised by a minimalist design and the use of high-tech materials to ensure that, as a whole, the resort is in harmony with its surroundings. The resort also offers great cultural attractions – entertainment, physical activities and good cuisine – to complement the major tourist attractions in Jesolo and nearby Venice.
![The Libeccio basin is surrounded by green spaces and is reserved for larger boats of 14 to 30m (46 to 98ft).](https://marinaworld.co.uk/img/photos/mw012327_3.jpg)
The Libeccio basin is surrounded by green spaces and is reserved for larger boats of 14 to 30m (46 to 98ft).
Marzotto’s intervention is part of a high-level tourism plan which, through the Aquarius family company, is also revitalising the former Alberoni colony at the Venice Lido with a 4 or 5 star hotel, private properties and a private beach. This investment is valued at €40-50 million and 38 apartments have already been built by the Marzotto Group.
“The Pjt has several properties destined for important real estate development, including a shed for a boat shelter, an office building of around 1,000m² (10,800ft²) and two apartments within the district,” explains Federica Biondi, CEO of Pjt and marina resort manager. “Moreover, it is also part of the super-condominium Abitare il Porto, a complex that includes the marina and three blocks of buildings with around 150 apartments owned by various condominium groups, 50% of which are marina clients.”
![Situated in front of the reception building, the Grecale basin hosts boats of 12 to 22m (39 to 72ft).](https://marinaworld.co.uk/img/photos/mw012327_4.jpg)
Situated in front of the reception building, the Grecale basin hosts boats of 12 to 22m (39 to 72ft).
“The activity of the shipyard has been improved in terms of personnel involved in maintenance and in the preparation of areas dedicated to processing, and with the installation of new purification plants. Other investments, already approved, will be made next season.”
The tourist port is a prestigious place in the context of the overall waterfront renewal project. Its sheer presence is of benefit to the redevelopment plan currently being studied and it will play a big part in its overall success. The waterfront is an important step in the municipality’s Territorial Development Plan, and has become a topic of interest for students at Milano Politecnico (University of Engineering, Art and Design). Students are involved in a project to redevelop one specific stretch, starting with cycle-pedestrian paths and the beach, and are experimenting with new urban furniture designs and multifunctional mini-architecture.
The local councillors for urban planning, Giovanni Battista Scaroni, and for tourism, Flavia Pastò, have said that input from young people all over the world is very useful for determining how best to grow the waterfront and promote the region. Their involvement delivers ideas about how to rethink cities that can be integrated into processes that are already underway. Improvements in Rimini are a perfect example. For Jesolo, development of the seafront is a central theme and the starting point for paying attention to the city. But the city’s future lies in enhancing all, including its broadest reaches.