ROME - The former Customs House of Rome in San Lorenzo, once a symbol of the Roman underground scene, is now an ‘ultra-luxury hub’. “The Social Hub”, an ambitious project signed by a Dutch multinational company, transformed the old freight yard into a ‘multifunctional hub’ with private student accommodation, coworking, luxury hotel and event space. The operation started with the sale of the space by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, controlled by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. A move which was strongly criticized by the Rome, which had long been asking for the area to be redeveloped and turned into something from which local people could benefit. The history of the ‘Social Hub’ begins in 2016, when the company proposed building a large student accommodation complex, taking advantage of the proximity to La Sapienza. Then came the pandemic and, as CEO Charlie MacGregor explained, the project was completely rethought: from a student residence to a hybrid-structure designed for tourists, digital nomads, professionals and, only in part, for university students. After the full inauguration in the coming months, the building will offer 392 rooms with different uses, some reserved for students, others – classified as four stars – dedicated to tourists. To complete the offer there will be 250 coworking stations, a gym, a rooftop with swimming pool, bar and a 10 thousand square metre park, open to the public. The spaces reserved for students, however, will not be accessible before September and the prices are already being discussed. The rooms dedicated to students can cost up to 1,400 euros per month, three to four times the typical rent in the area, placing it in the budget of rich international students as opposed to everyone else. On the official portal, for example, a 19 square metre ‘Executive Queen’ room with a shared kitchen is offered at 1,482 euros. In Bologna, similar luxury housing prices range from 960 euros for a double to 1,329 for a single, which is an offer that, according to many local businesses, has severely affected rent in the area. San Lorenzo has been undergoing a transformation process for years that has caused rent costs to soar, driving away long-time residents and students. The arrival of the Social Hub, for many, is just the latest piece of a gentrification at the hands of international companies that refuses to stop. In the meantime, the neighborhood associations are not standing by and watching. On Sunday, April 6, they organised a public meeting, to discuss with the residents the impacts that the new opening will have on an already heavily congested area.