Proposals for Merchants Street's upgrading opened

The opening of proposals for an urban design competition organised by the Valletta Rehabilitation Project to upgrade Merchants Street in Valletta was yesterday overshadowed by protests from two of the applicants who contended that four submissions should be disqualified because they were made after the original closing date.

The architects - who insisted on remaining anonymous - told Ray Bondin, VRP executive coordinator and chairman of the adjudicating team, that only the two applications received by the original closing date should be opened. In all there were six applications, which were all opened, in spite of the architects' protests.

The upgrading is for the major part of Merchants Street and St John Square.

The call for applications for projects to upgrade Merchants Street through lighting, paving, street furniture and other embellishments was originally made in mid-February. The closing date was set for May 17 but, Mr Bondin said, architects who had intended to take part in the competition contacted the VRP to say that they did not have enough time to finalise their designs and requested an extension of the closing date.

Mr Bondin said that as May 17 approached, a notice was issued in the Government Gazette, extending the closing date to May 31.

Such extensions are permitted by law and the extension was officially published in the Government Gazette, Mr Bondin said.

In the meantime the first two applications remained closed and were opened only with the other applications, after the extended closing date elapsed.

Applicants had to submit designs for the upgrading under a nom-de-plume with a separate closed accompanying envelope indicating who the applicant was and giving other details. If there was anything in the designs that identified the architect automatic disqualification would follow.

Despite the protests, Mr Bondin went on to open the six applications.

Although the project was named the Merchants Street Urban Design 'Competition', no prize will be given to the winning design but the applicant will enter into a contract with the government to provide consultancy and supervision during the execution of the embellishment works.

The closed envelopes containing the details of the applicants will be kept in a bank safe and only be opened after the decision of the adjudicating panel made up of representatives of the Chamber of Architects, the VRP and the local council.

Mr Bondin said the design would eventually be exhibited to the public and be open for comments.

The adjudicating process is expected to take two months.

Asked whether the upgrading would affect the Monti open air market, Mr Bondin said this matter was not for the VRP to determine - but there were no plans to move the market as far as he knew.