Ideas for inner harbour regeneration announced
An artist's impression of the regeneration of the Marsa menqa, until a few years ago a coal depot.
Communications Minister Austin Gatt today inaugurated the Valletta Boat Show and launched a public consultation on the government’s plans to redevelop the Menqa in Marsa, where the show is being held.
He said the government wanted a regeneration of this area, converting it from an industrial zone to a commercial and recreational space.
The project, which would be carried out in partnership with the private sector, would cover the area from the former Sea Malta Building to Crucifix Wharf.
He said the government was proposing that the former Sea Malta building would be used for commercial purposes which could also include a terminal for seaplane passengers.
Flagstone Wharf would be converted for use by cruise liners while Timber Wharf and and Bridge Wharf could feature restaurants, although the latter could also include floating pontoons.
The area around Mifsud Verandah and Chadwick Building was earmarked as a commercial centre.
Dr Gatt said the government would invest on the roads in the area and it also envisaged a pedestrian zone.
The project would extend further after 2015 when Marsa power station was expected to be closed down.
Dr Gatt said that by the end of this year the government also expected to announce its plans for new yacht marinas and recommend sites for hard standing facilities for boats.
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D.MANGION
Sep 26th 2008, 06:12
...and all this will happen when the moon gets the shape of a cube.
How come the area where there is the power station is, according to the artists' impression, turned into a garigue green patch ?
We've already seen all these science fiction things before the election. Scores of projects by both parties in order to regenerate the port areas. Has any one of them been implemented yet ?
john cassar
Sep 26th 2008, 04:56
Would minister Gatt be so kind to tell us what are the true intentions of the goverment plans for dock no 1. is the a Spanish consortiun interested ?
laurence schembri
Sep 25th 2008, 23:47
Seven years! Hiroshima was re-built in less than that after the Atom Bomb.
We know. Like the new bus terminus. The Opera House, need I go on.
Joseph Attard
Sep 25th 2008, 23:30
Smart ideas too...lets go for it......but pleasekeep inmind that the MEGA yacht industry has no facilties inthe MEd for refit and refurbishing. Manoel ISland is not really well positioned for that. So how about including this somehowinthis picture....a lifting structure capacle of taking 100metre yeachts...within the grand harbour and we could have a sizable amounts of berths for over 80 metre yachts. There are so many of them in Europe alone today.
In respect to this area, the fastest we do this the betteer, private enterprise and gov, and if gov is liquid finance short, im sure private enterprise can do this, as long as theres a return on investment which is realistic.
Im sure this picture alone has increased the cost of property in the area two fold today. Someone s dream is most times some one elses fortune!
Kevin Zammit
Sep 25th 2008, 22:41
Ma ndahkux nies, issa qbizna il-Port ergajna!
Bieb il-Belt,
il-Buskett,
It-toroq (with that state of art statue @ Luqa round about) ,
il-Mistra,
l-iskejjel,
Selmun (telqa estrema),
Manikata (il-Majjistral),
it-teatru l-imwaqqa (li imwaqqa kien u imwaqqa ha jibqa`),
Hagar Qim u l-Imnajdra,
...................u elf haga u post iehor.
E bilhaq Stat Eccellenti sa l-2015(mhux li kien il-bambin jisma talbi!) .......jew 5102!
Pajjiz hallata ballata mifni bil-politika partigjana ta zewg monstri wiehed rieqed u l-iehor jaghmel li jrid.
Joseph E Briffa
Sep 25th 2008, 22:17
Let's have trees all along the waterfront and flowers and bushes as undergrowth. And less concrete paving please.
Vincent Galea
Sep 25th 2008, 21:47
................this is smart growth.
Julian Borg
Sep 25th 2008, 20:28
No more pink concrete paving pleeeaaase.