Court clears demolition of Magic Kiosk in Sliema
A court yesterday declared that demolition works on what's left of the Magic Kiosk in Sliema can continue under the supervision of a court-nominated architect.
The demolition of the turquoise aluminium-clad kiosk started on January 9 after the restaurant's 30-year lease agreement expired and the owner ignored a number of eviction notices issued by the government.
After the place was pulled down, the dismantling was interrupted when a court upheld a request for a warrant of prohibitory injunction by owner Joe Pace, who wanted to stop the government from recycling aluminium taken from the kiosk.
Mr Pace said the aluminium belonged to him and the authorities had no right to dispose of the structure.
Yesterday, Mr Justice Goeffrey Valenzia decreed that the works can continue under the supervision of a court-appointed architect. The area has become a hazard in the meantime and an even bigger eyesore than it might have been before. Piles of debris now litter St Anne Square where the kiosk once stood.
The Ministry for Rural Affairs and Resources and the Parliamentary Secretary for Land expressed their satisfaction at the decision, saying that work will start on February 13.
They said they would make sure everything is done to avoid any further inconvenience for the public.
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lgalea
Feb 7th 2009, 13:09
Peter Prictoe, Barnsley
Of course it could.
Things have the habit of vanishing from where they are supposed to be stored, including things from the Courts safe.
So would you be surprised that stones from the old opera house would vanish?
If I remember correctly, there used to be some big marked stones deposited in a field between St Lucija and Hal-Luqa on the Addolorata cemetery side which people used to say were either from the old opera house of from some other old building in Marsa for preservation, but they no longer seem to be there.
Anyone knows where they might be?
Franco Farrugia
Feb 7th 2009, 12:46
@ Peter Prictoe - It would interest to you to know that as a younger man, I remember many, many well-decorated stones lying around in a government-owned field just opposite the present new Girls' Lyceum at Sta Lucia, on the road between Paola/Sta Lucia and Luqa. These stones were each numbered. I remember my late father telling me that these stones came from the former Valletta theatre. He told me that one day, these stones will be needed in order to re-construct the theatre to its former glory.
This was an opinion of around forty years ago.
By the way, the last time I passed by, I glanced at the area but couldn't make out a single stone!
Peter Prictoe, Barnsley
Feb 7th 2009, 12:17
When the authorities have finished with the Magic
Kiosk they might return to the ruins of the Opera House.
Just as Mr Pace is worried about the salved aluminium
I wonder what happened to the stones of the theatre for seeing the site at the end of World War Two most
of the masonry seemed to be present. I was later told that the stones had been removed to a place of safety to be used during reconstruction.
About half a century back a Maltese friend proudly showed me an elegant construction in his garden and assured me that it was made out of bits of the Opera House. It couldn’t be true could it…?
Mario Tabone-Vassallo
Feb 7th 2009, 11:46
Naghmlu li nistghu biex inkomplu ndejqu r-residenti li ilhom ibghatu das-snin kollha