City Gate back on the agenda

Charles Micallef

Dec 2nd 2008, 10:15

This long awaited project and in the case the Opera House is some 60 years overdue will certainly improve the entrance to our capital city, from the 3rd world city entrance that it is today and the idea to move the parliament into another opera house is very fitting!

How about putting a lid over that monstrosity of the car-park, it is by far the biggest carbuncle which has defaced the entrance to this jewel of a city in the Mediterranean.

I am sure that Renzo Piano can remedy this eyesore by covering it up and landscape it as part and parcel of this project.

Michael Bonnici

Dec 2nd 2008, 09:59

I have only one sentiment to express at all this. Disgust. I am honestly ashamed to be a Nationalist and do not condone the current situation. It had to come to this. The country falling apart, questionably privatised and taxed to high heaven and the PM wants to discuss City Gate with the leader of the opposition. What a sad and sorry story we have become. I sincerely hope the party we have today can reform itself, and that the faces we have before us today come to change. Or my support will forever be withheld. And with me I hope there are many others. If the Nationalist party really caused Labour to change, then the Nationalist party went to the dogs in the meantime.

p.grima

Dec 2nd 2008, 02:08

Why thow millions of taxpayer's money away to Renzo Piano? (again?) There are many Maltese architects and master builders who can rebuild this UNESCO World Heritage Baroque Capital City Gate, and the theatre (at least on the outside) as they were, as opposed to some STARGATE.

I believe that if the Valletta City Gate were to be rebuilt, the Maltese people should be able to choose any one of the three (Laparelli, Dingli, or Thompson's) historically correct gates.

Ray Buttigieg

Dec 1st 2008, 18:50

one just hope that this news in true and not some damage control alienation after the budget.

one also hopes that the project will stick to defined time and cost schedules and not have another San Raffarele/mater dei saga.....although honestly i am not to optimistic about this objective.

finaly, what about fort st elmo. Why does not the government sell it to the private sector to develope something useful out of this disgraceful site at lower valletta. instead of spending millions in a whole under saint john, why not use these funds to renovate fort st elmo

Robert Micallef

Dec 1st 2008, 15:49

I believe tha we should have done both city gate and opera house a long time ago! There are two factors which we have to keep in mind-
1- Whoever submits the drawing should try keep the rest of the city's architecture in mind. (Perhaps something similar to Bombi but larger?)
2- The gate should be ready in the shortest possible time. One has to remember that there is a major road passing on top of the gate and the main entrance to valletta is through city gate!

Joseph Mangion

Dec 1st 2008, 14:23

Another Opera house project !

Edward Caruana Galizia

Dec 1st 2008, 11:54

the only reason why past ideas for City Gate have been disliked by the public is because they have all been ugly. It sounds very blunt but lets face it, a city thats 500 years old does not need some sort of modernist entrance. it should be done with the overall architecture of the city in mind. Something that will add to the city's beauty and not just plonk some monstrosity on it s doorstep.
Although some of the ideas look good, they don t fit in with the rest of the city. I think that this sort of thing only happens in Malta. No other country would eve DREAM of putting up an abstract piece of architcture in a city thats 500 years old. I think it s tantamount to pulling down the coliseum and builing a faceless, characterless building.

Sometimes I just think that our political leaders and architects just have no clue.

C. Marsh

Dec 1st 2008, 10:27

we are fed up of new projects that never materialize. So I for one don't believe any more the PM before I see the project ready. How can one believe this when we had a budget 3 weeks ago and not €1 was voted for ti.

J Martinelli

Nov 30th 2008, 22:36

@gxuereb

...and when did the MLP (now LP) ever come up with any workable ideas? Saying NO to everything is not exactly any help.

When the kings of negativism start acting like grown-ups then their help will be sought. In the case of the appointment of a Data Protection Commissioner, all the PM wants is to avoid a protracted delay such as the one experienced under the leadership of Dr. Sant regarding the appointment of Auditor General.

gxuereb

Nov 30th 2008, 21:16

When the going was GOOD........huma u ta' madwarhom BISS!
When the going gets tough.......let's call the Labour Party to help us.
Double-faced politics.

lgalea

Nov 30th 2008, 21:14

Another alienation from the budget burden.

We are now used to your strategies Gonzipn.

franco Buttigieg

Nov 30th 2008, 19:23

Regarding the major capital projects that will be announced in the coming days and will required national support, Dr Gonzi these will be supported by the people if they not only are needed but also address the economic, social and environment agenda you have been stating our country has and if not then it shall be a pity as our economy in its present slowdown requires Government to invest in the country’s infrastructure so that it may not only survive this period of economic instability but also as stated become among the best countries in the world by 2015.

franco Buttigieg

Nov 30th 2008, 19:22

Do we not notice that the four major projects launched this week are not as stated that the private sector was still investing in Malta at a time when the world was facing financial problem. These projects have been in the making for some time now are in the final stage of a long process. We need real present investment project that are being set up now with new investments and not pointing at investments which have been committed in the past. Although these four major projects will hopefully help the economy through employment, they can’t be looked at as a sign that our economy is not feeling or will not be affected by its micro economy and will not face financial problems like the rest of the world.

S Mifsud

Nov 30th 2008, 19:14

We've had enough.

If the PM wanted to be credible he should have voted X million for the city gate project in the last budget which was only a few days ago. Anything else is cheap talk and a smoke screen.

So now the favourtive smoke screeens are city gate, opera house, drilling for oil and of recently Ghadira road. The Times should run a poll as to which one is the nation's favourite.

carmel dimech

Nov 30th 2008, 18:14

DURING THE WEEK THE GHADIRA ROAD. TODAY CITY GATE. I S SOMEONE TRYING TO DIVERT PEOPLE'S ATTENTION FROM THE WATER AND ELECTRICITY FIASCO . HOW LONG IS THE CITIZIENCE BEING TAKEN FOR A RIDE?

albert leone ganado

Nov 30th 2008, 17:45

Here we go again. Let us prepare to enjoy the usual cycle of differences of opinion and objections to resurface, experts of all sorts coming out of the worm goles, passionate arguments on some popular TV program to line the pocket of producers The outcome as usual is that nothing gets done.,
I still remember my grandfather half a century ago discussing the architectural competition and plan of city gate and opera house plans.

Then we had the Renzo Piano plan which with hindsight would have given an immense quality boost to our capital city. More dither and dither until the issue was shelved.

I forecast the same will happen again with more money being forked out to architects and nothing happening other than the entrance to our capital city becoming more shambolic like a street market in a third world .

If only we had more bulldozing ministers in Jacques Lang style in Government perhaps some action would follow the endless charades we are in for.

s.bugeja

Nov 30th 2008, 16:10

City Gate Project? Now where did I hear that one before?!!!!!!

M.Buhagiar

Nov 30th 2008, 15:36

@ Charles Micallef

Let us hope that after fifteen days Dr . Gonzi finally accepts Dr. Muscat`s request i.e. that of nominating a Data Protection Commisioner after the Data Protection scandal which has emerged recently . Was it not because the novice PN secretary general inadvertedly directed an email to Jason Micallef instead of Jason Azzopardi , this scandal involving data protection wouldn`t have emerged .

This is a REAL case of National Interest Mr. Micallef and not that of City Gate although it would be nice to have!!

Charles Micallef

Nov 30th 2008, 14:17

Let us hope that Dr Muscat accepts Dr Gonzi's request to meet and discuss issues of national importance and that both of them put the interests of the Nations first and before that of their respective parties.

Give politics a break.....and let common sense previal please

M Borg

Nov 30th 2008, 14:01

For citygate they should consider the plans made by Anglu Xuereb...although I don't support his idealogoies the artist impressions submitted by him during the election were so impressive!

James Hamilton

Nov 30th 2008, 13:30

I am definitely not going to hold my breath over the City Gate project, after all this, along with the Opera House has been put on hold for more years than I care to remember.
I recall that some time ago University architectural students were asked to submit their drawings and ideas for both the mentioned projects, and excellent they were too.
The public were given the chance to view these drawings and to decide which one would best suit the ambience.
I have no idea what the outcome was, but suffice to say these plans are probably gathering dust in some government cupboard.
Personally I have resolved myself to the fact that I am never going to see either of these projects finished, oh yes, they may come back on the agenda from time to time, but that’s about all that happens, all talk but very little action.

Jonathan Borg

Nov 30th 2008, 12:29

Before transforming Malta's economy from Value Added Manufacturing to Services Based, we need to take a long hard look at lessons learned in countries that have attempted to do so before

Sure it can work (Switzerland), but wasn't it just a few weeks ago that Iceland's economy came crashing down? Perhaps these are two extremes and not the norm.

While vastly different in size, Canada is one such country where new lessons are being learned in real-time, as a result of the global credit crunch. Like Malta, Canada's banking sector has remained relatively strong because of strict lending polices, but its manufacturing sector is reeling from job losses. Only now is it becoming apparent that more focus and investment should have been placed on the value-added manufacturing sector.

Incidentally, there is another lesson we should learn from Canada. Also in real-time, Canada's Prime Minister has already broken a pre-election promise (no surprise there) on economic stimulus for the country. Because he only has a minority government, the opposition parties can call him to account and prevent him from arrogantly charging ahead. See http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/546135

It is unfortunate that we have no such mechanism in Malta.