Microsoft has begun remediation for the former Postalmarket site in San Bovio, where Microsoft intends to build a datacenter. The datacenter construction site is located on Via Trieste in Peschiera Borromeo (MI), Italy.

Why datacenters are needed

Datacenters provide the physical infrastructure for the technology we depend on at work and in our personal lives. Whenever you open an app on your phone, join a virtual classroom or meeting, snap and save photos, or play a game with your friends online, you are using a datacenter. Local businesses, government, hospitals, and schools rely on datacenters every day to deliver goods and services to you.

June 4, 2025: Demolition of the former Postalmarket building

In February 2025, demolition and remediation works began on the former Postalmarket building located in the San Bovio district of the Municipality of Peschiera Borromeo (Milan). Once completed, these works will allow for the construction of the new datacenter.

Site remediation

Thanks to the demolition work carried out by GSE on the building, which was abandoned for about a decade, materials containing asbestos (MCA) were removed. Following the discovery of additional MCA beyond what was originally expected, a complete removal was carried out, returning a fully remediated site to the community.

Working hours

Demolition work is carried out from Monday to Friday, with general and preparatory activities starting at 7:00, and operations considered noisy—such as the activation of the crusher and the transit of trucks—starting no earlier than 7:30, with a break from 12:00 to 13:00, and ending by 18:00.

On Saturdays, the site is active from 7:00 to 14:00, but noisy activities do not begin before 9:00 and end by 12:00.

Mitigation measures

During demolition, the following mitigation measures help protect the environment and surrounding community:

• Noise control, using equipment with low emission levels and limiting work to daytime hours (as outlined previously).
• Dust control, through the installation of dust protection mesh on the perimeter fence to prevent dust dispersion beyond the site and the use of water cannons (fog cannons) during demolition activities.
• Wheel-wash system for all vehicles exiting the construction site.

Sustainability measures

The demolition is being carried out with sustainability in mind. Thanks to the preventive measures adopted, there has been no impact on groundwater, and air quality is being constantly monitored.

Hazardous waste is being disposed of in full compliance with regulations, and construction waste is being minimized by applying circular economy principles. These practices aim to increase the reuse rate of materials resulting from demolition activities, thus reducing construction waste. This will be achieved through the “3 Rs” principle:

• Refurbishment
• Reuse
• Recycling

We will have a positive environmental impact by avoiding:

• 1,104 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (mtCO2e) from reusing approximately 35,000 cubic meters of crushed demolition material reused on site.
• 1,228 mtCO2e from recycling approximately 500 metric tons of steel structures.
• 3,137 mtCO2e from recycling approximately 2,000 metric tons of reinforced concrete steel rebar.

Using the average emissions of a market-standard car (approximately 130 g/km of carbon dioxide) as a reference, the positive environmental impact—and thus the total CO₂ emissions saved—will be equivalent to around 1,052 complete trips around the Equator (approximately 40,000 km in circumference), or 42 million kilometers.

Communication plan

To keep you informed throughout the project, we will provide updates via the GSE website, also accessible via the QR code available at citizen observation points, and the Microsoft community blog.

Contact information

For questions or concerns, please contact the GSE project representative Francesco Zito at fzito@gsegroup.com. You may also contact the Microsoft Community Affairs team directly at DCItalia@microsoft.com. We are here to assist you and ensure that any concerns are addressed.

October 26, 2024: Community information session recap

On October 26, 2024, Microsoft held a presentation in the San Bovio neighborhood of Peschiera Borromeo to inform the community about its plan to build a datacenter in the former Postalmarket area. Over 150 people joined Mayor Andrea Coden and members of the municipal government and council to learn more about the project and have questions answered. Microsoft addressed several topics of interest to the community, including environmental sustainability, transportation, and education and job opportunities.

The datacenter has already gone through the environmental impact assessment pre-screening by the Ministry of Environment, which has certified the environmental quality of the project. The datacenter will not draw water from the local potable aquifer, and the Ministry of Environment has confirmed that there is no risk to local water resources. The energy procured for the datacenter will come from 100% renewable sources provided by Terna. The Ministry of Environment has also issued a favorable review of the datacenter’s noise mitigation measures. The datacenter will not generate a significant increase to vehicle traffic.

The datacenter will bring new job opportunities to the community. Microsoft explained what jobs will be available, and that all will be awarded following an open and transparent process. While no priority to local citizens can be given, training opportunities will be provided to prepare people for a job in the datacenter sector. Project fees paid by Microsoft also will be used to modernize the school infrastructure in Peschiera Borromeo.

The information session featured attentive community participation, with many attendees expressing appreciation to Microsoft and the municipal government for organizing an open and informative meeting.

Staying connected

We will keep the community up to date via our Italy page in our Microsoft in your community blog.

For daily operational questions, you can also reach out to the engagement lead at DCItalia@microsoft.com .