The implementation of the project is bringing about a perceptible revitalization of the city of Bolzano and of the region as a whole, and is a very attractive additional offer of high-quality sales outlet premises for the population of Bolzano and South Tyrol. As well as that, hundreds of new jobs will be created during the construction phase and after the opening in the many businesses which will come into being. Bozen will benefit from a significant uplift thanks to the additional tourism, attracted by the shopping opportunities and drawn to admire the architecture. A further benefit will be the provision of still more areas of greenery to meet the needs of the people, and the range of spaces for rest and relaxation in natural surroundings will be substantially increased, with the Bahnhofpark (Station Park) and the Bahnhofsallee being reconstituted as a “high-quality boulevard”.
In a referendum among the population of Bolzano, held from 29 March to 4 April 2016, almost two-thirds of the voters, 64.39 % to be exact, were in favour of the construction of this requalification project. Following this democratic decision, and the further legal and construction steps, as well as the planning developments, the project can be put into effect and opened in three years.
The concept is that in 2019 a department store for the citizens of Bolzano and South Tyrol will come into being here, the “WaltherPark”, which can be hailed as a true model of success.