Lino Spiteri
No double role for Piano
The Renzo Piano tripod project for the access to Valletta and immediately behind it is having a seemingly welcome effect for the government. It has generated controversy, no doubt about that. But people qualified to give an informed opinion have been positive about the proposals.
That is not to say that all expressions of approval have been without qualification. The idea to convert the ruins of the old opera house into an open air centre has attracted most resistance. There is a feeling that Mr Piano was constrained by the budget indicated to him. Yet, he is obviously convinced of his scheme, otherwise he would not lend his name to it.
Another qualification revolves around the plan to build new premises for the House of Representatives in what is today known as Freedom Square, a throwback to the names former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff used to dream up. There is a thread of feeling that persists in remaining unconvinced that we need to splash out hefty euro millions to relocate the House when there are buildings in Valletta which beg to be restored and could be converted in parliamentary premises if the House must move from the President's Palace.
Not to mention another thread which lumbers Lawrence Gonzi and - unfairly - the whole political class for being ready to hog the only open space of note in the capital city. But the Prime Minister must be happy that the Piano project is on so many lips, though not all of them express swooning interest. Some note, as well they should, that the government has not yet come up with parallel proposals to tackle the three main negative side effects of Mr Piano's vision.
One is the impact on shop owners who operate from the outlets at the entrance of Valletta. The outlets are unseemly, certainly, and it was a mistake to put them there. But what are the shop operators to do once they have to make way?
Another is the removal of precious parking space in addition to that taken away with the regeneration of St George's Square, opposite the President's Palace, itself a matter of unresolved controversy because of the proposed indecorous decorations of it.
Perhaps someone is thinking of digging up Floriana's Ix-Xagħra and locating a huge underground car park there but nobody is telling yet.
Then there is the flow of traffic into Valletta, which will have to be re-routed once the road above the present atrociously ugly entrance to the city is removed to make way for the reach-to-the skies Piano concept of a "gate".
Nevertheless, the Prime Minister must be happy that the Piano effort is attracting so much attention. Happy for the project in itself as well as because the attention changes focus from the stubbornly-high cost of living and long-standing gripes about hefty water and electricity bills and, more recently, the sharp hike in the price of petrol and related products, which affects humble old-car users and economic operators alike.
If indeed it is the case that anyone thinks that many will be alienated from complaining and complaining some more about pockets holed by high prices and tariffs, they are very mistaken. In that context, Mr Piano cannot really have a double role.
Most people have not bothered to go to view the master's exhibition or to try to make out the proposals from the photos and texts that appeared in the newspapers. Yet, they are very bothered at the way their euros in their pockets are shrinking in purchasing power. Bothered and getting more so. There can be no respite for the Prime Minister and his team in that regard in spite of the Piano theme.
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Galea. L
Jul 6th 2009, 18:30
Dominic Chircop
You are right
Mater Dejn was projected to cost how much ~~~Lm28 milllion?
J Martinelli
Jul 6th 2009, 16:34
@ Dominic Chircop
Even the mere removal of the dismal City Gate becomes an 'added value'. Besides, what is a City Gate without a gate? There hasn't been one in many decades, not that I remember, anyway.
The present Opera House ruins do not have a roof, no permanent seating facilities, and are not used other than for some parking and on one or two occasions a year. The new venue doubles as a memorial and an open air theatre which hopefully will be used more often. Possibly some kind of roofing, something like the Hagar Qim temples protective covering now in place, can be installed in the future.
I do however agree that the bus terminus must go, or at least completely redone as soon as possible after this project is completed.
@ Frank Bowman
Any improvement in infrastructure is an investment. This type of investment does not necessarily produce direct revenue and can never be expressed in euros but, for example, if a boatload of tourists visit Valletta in its present state, how many will bother to venture back for a much longer stay? How many more will appreciate the new appearance and come back?
P. Schembri
Jul 6th 2009, 15:56
Up till now:
Valletta entrance Euro 80 million
Menqa Development Euro 130 million
Ghadira Road Euro 30 million
Wind farms Euro 150 million
What's next? The deficit is about Euro 300 million. The national debt is at Euro 4 billion. From where is the money coming? Anyone with a solid answer please!
Frank Bowman
Jul 6th 2009, 15:15
To Mr.Charles V. Schembri ... I quote "The multiplier effect of such infrastructures lies in the added value - financially and culturally. " ... Where in world is the added value? Especially Financially? ...as regarding to the Cultural value, I can understand there is some.
I tried to give a simple example in layman's terms - where is this added financial value?
It will be an expensive burden.
Joe Vella
Jul 6th 2009, 15:07
@ Frank Bowman
Looking at things from a narrow minded state of mind, you are quite right. Perhaps then when you long at things from a wider perspective then you soon find out that when the 80 million Euros trickle down the economic spiral, any economist will tell you that the benefits to the economy is at least ten folds over.
I am not going to waste my time and go down the list of direct and indirect benefits of Investing in this project are to the economy non, in the short term or long term future is. I figure that since one took the time and post such a comment, should be smart enough to figure out if out only if he/she things outside the box.
Just some food for thaught perhaps you should answer one simple question, that if such project will add value when it comes to sell Malta as a Tourist attraction to what is already in Place.
Dominic Chircop
Jul 6th 2009, 15:02
What added value ?
A City Gate without a gate, a theatre without a roof, and to cap it all, right in front of the arguably visionary entrance, a joke of a bus terminus. That is surely a holistic approach !
But we are all stupid, it seems. What is a piddling 80 million euro, compared to 4 billion ?
Roll on national debt ! I won't be around when repayment time comes ! Increase and multiply, Maltese gemgem, so that our children's children can pay up !
charles v schembri
Jul 6th 2009, 14:27
I happen to be a regular reader of Mr Spiteri's opinions. Typically him, at times his scriptural ventures just fill in mandatory paper slots. I like him best when he takes a position but not when just airing opinions shadowed by a lack of focused visions or purpose. His venture today could have stopped at end of first para. That would have made sense. The multiplier effect of such infrastructures lies in the added value - financially and culturally. The mistake would be not to take the decision and call come Jan 2010 as the kick off date.
Dominic Chircop
Jul 6th 2009, 12:59
What is even more worrying is that nobody is worrying about how the project will be financed.
It was mooted that the project will cost some 80 million euro. From past experience, we all know that a cost overrun is on the cards.
Yet no one is worried about the debt situation, soon to be an incredible four billion euro. The government is happy, and so is the opposition. The Minister of Finance, in yesterday's interview with the Sunday Times, somehow gave the impression that the project cost is negligible.
Then there are the usual sycophants who want to impress upon us the great amount of ancillary trades which will be stumulated. As if the project will hav a multiplier of 5, or some such magnitude!
Concurrently, the country is being prepared for an austere budget. Does this make economic sense ? And please, spare us the stock reply such spending is what is needed to regenerate the economy. It seems that no one has, as yet, latched on the seemingly puerile attempts of various governments to turn things round.
Is there no one out there who will explain matters in layman's terms.
Frank Bowman
Jul 6th 2009, 11:55
I cannot understand how some say that the project is an investment.
Normally an investment is when you chance/risk an expense to profit from it in the near (if possible) future. Yet here the idea is to rebuilt a theatre (that could be an investment, providing that there will be income coming from it) and a new parliament and its offices.
Where is the investment here? Well, let us do some simple math, lets say 50,000 people will visit the whole project and spend 50 euro each for doing this, per year (a dream... I cannot see how and why, but still lets say they do), it will takes us (the tax payers) 32 years to get some of our initial money back, but we might be spending more .... these projects normally do .... And then there is maintenance, both daily and temporary - that will cost us (the taxpayer) a hell of a lot.
So - will someone please explain to me why this project is an investment?