US to take over new embassy site in December

The United States expects to take vacant possession of a 10-acre site for the building of its embassy in Ta' Qali in December, US embassy officials said yesterday. They would not put a target date for completion of the project, but said commissioning usually takes place between 18 months and two years after building works start.

Parliament in July approved the transfer of the site - used as a vote counting hall since 1992 - for $18.5 million. Demolition of buildings is now underway and should be completed by year's end.

Meanwhile, final design work is being carried out in Malta and New York. The project will then require a specific financial allocation by the US Congress and a building development permit from the Malta Environment and Planning Authority .

Preliminary designs shown to the press yesterday show a chancery located behind a 30-metre setback - needed for security purposes - as well as smaller buildings including a warehouse, residential quarters for six marines, a pool and a squash court, parking facilities and large water reservoirs. None of the buildings will be higher than three storeys. There will be two gatehouses, with callers for consular services, such as visas, using a different gate than the one for the main embassy building.

There will be no residential quarters for diplomats.

Mr Grant and other officials said the new embassy would not require any additional diplomatic staff or marines. Roads around the site and the national park opposite will remain open and will not be affected by the project.

He said that buildings would occupy only a quarter of the site, but the fact that they were purpose-built would mean a more comfortable environment for staff and visitors.

The project will be open for bids by US contractors who will then work in partnership with Maltese companies, with the completed project expected to cost between $80m and $100m. The embassy will be aesthetically designed to reflect both American and Maltese traditions. Maltese materials will be used as far as possible. Experts were in Malta over the summer to assess the qualities of Maltese stone.

Mr Grant welcomed the fact that the transfer of the site had been approved unanimously by Parliament. He said the embassy remained ready to answer any questions by the public. Quite a number of questions have already been received and answered, he said, such as one from an Attard visitor who wondered whether the embassy would cause any interference to the television reception at his home. It will not.

The US embassy has been located at Development House, Floriana since the early 1970s, progressively expanding to new offices on different floors as diplomatic, consular and security requirements changed. The first US embassy building was located in South Street, Valletta.