BAGNOLI, Italy, March 21 (Reuters) – Old factory structures stand tall over a shore damaged by years of heavy industry in the outskirts of Naples, which will host the prestigious America's Cup sailing event next year.
Dredgers are deepening the seabed in preparation for the racing yachts, workers are demolishing an old pier, and teams are getting ready to set up a temporary harbor for the advanced carbon-fiber boats.
This sailing event, awarded to Italy last year, has sparked debate about whether it will help clean up the Bagnoli coastline or simply cover up its polluted past.
Politicians claim the regatta is a crucial opportunity to rejuvenate one of Italy's most contaminated waterfronts, which once hosted a steel mill, cement factory, and asbestos plant.
“I see the America’s Cup as an opportunity to accelerate the environmental cleanup that was already scheduled, especially offshore, where work wasn’t set to begin until 2031,” said Enza Amato, head of Naples City Council. “For me, the most important thing is improving water quality and restoring the sea for public use.”
For many locals, activists, and small businesses, the ongoing work feels like the same old story: a grand promise of progress with no assurance of lasting benefits.
Instead of creating the long-awaited public beach and park for this part of the Mediterranean coast, critics worry that the America’s Cup might lead to a future dominated by luxury marinas and temporary structures.
“The issue isn’t whether we host the America’s Cup; it’s about doing it right,” said former Naples Mayor Antonio Bassolino. “Naples needs a large beach, and this is the only area where we can make one.”
Ironically, when Naples hosted the America’s Cup in 2013, a breakwater built to protect the yachts was supposed to be removed after the event, but it has remained due to the high costs associated with its removal, according to local officials.
Critics say the city prefers temporary solutions because Italian laws do not require extensive environmental assessments for such projects, which can take a long time to complete.
“Unfortunately, in Naples, temporary projects often become permanent,” Bassolino added.
Italian hopes for the event next year are pinned on Luna Rossa, a team supported by Prada’s Patrizio Bertelli, aiming to challenge the defending America's Cup champions from New Zealand.
However, the immediate concern is the work happening on land—especially a landfill along the coast containing about one million cubic meters of industrial waste leftover from when the last factories closed in 1992.
Initial plans aimed to remove this waste entirely to ensure a safe beach for future generations in Bagnoli, which is located in a volcanically active area that experiences numerous tremors annually.
Instead, officials have decided to remove only a portion of the furnace slag and cover the rest with large geomembrane sheets to contain the contamination, paving the way for hangars and workshops for the racing teams.
“The cleanup is a sham,” said Ines Clemente, a local bar owner who started a petition against the ongoing work. “It’s just hiding the issues and pretending they don’t exist.”
Even though they aren’t clearing out the landfill completely, workers are scraping the top layer of waste and removing thousands of tons of contaminated sand and stone from the seabed to create a flat area for the boats.
A lot of this material is being transported by trucks that rumble through Bagnoli, once a charming spa town before it was taken over by industry in the mid-20th century.
Clemente reports that her bar is now covered in dust, and road closures and heavy truck traffic have driven away customers. “My bar is empty in the evenings,” she stated. “I’m always cleaning, but people are uncomfortable. It’s like they can taste the dust.”
Earlier this month, protesters clashed with riot police as local groups waved banners saying: “Stop the work of shame” and “Naples is not for sale.”
Grant Dalton, CEO of America's Cup Partnership, praised the rapid progress at Bagnoli, noting that such a project could take years in other locations. While acknowledging the protests, he stated that the aim is to revitalize the area and put it at the center of the event.
While Clemente hopes her bar will bounce back once the redevelopment is finished, another local resident, Paola Minieri, fears she may lose her home because of it.
Under a city project to upgrade the area predating the America’s Cup contract, Minieri's house is set for demolition.
Minieri’s family has lived in Borgo Coroglio, a group of historic seafront homes near the America's Cup port, for over a century. The city council claims the area needs to be cleared for the “public good,” but has yet to unveil detailed plans for what will replace it, apart from stating that new residential units will be constructed.
This prime beachfront area, with views of the islands of Ischia and Procida, would certainly come with a high price tag.
“Just because we’re poor doesn’t mean we should have to leave to make space for the wealthy,” Minieri, a clothing saleswoman, argued. “We support the cleanup and the America’s Cup, but this place must prioritize local people.”
Living in Bagnoli has had its toll on many residents.
Minieri mentioned that 10 members of her extended family have died from cancers linked to asbestos, which local doctors believe may have been caused by exposure to pollutants from the old factories.
“Maybe we should have left before, but we didn’t. Now that something positive is finally happening, they want to push us out,” she lamented.
City council chief Amato stated that no final decision has been made yet. “It’s a very sensitive situation,” she acknowledged.