Kurt Sansone
Start of City Gate works delayed
Works on Valletta's new-look entrance, which were supposed to start this month, have been postponed by three months to give shops beneath the City Gate arcades an extended lease.
The shop leases expired at the end of December and the government had no intention of renewing them given Renzo Piano's plans to remove the arcades. However, the Land Parliamentary Secretariat yesterday told The Times that discussions with shop owners were being held on a "one-to-one basis, to keep them informed of all developments".
The spokesman said the secretariat was working in conjunction with the Infrastructure Ministry, which was leading the Renzo Piano City Gate project.
"We have been informed by the Infrastructure Ministry that the start of the project in the area in question has been pushed to March," the spokesman said.
Valletta's new-look entrance will do away with the arcades and the shops on one side of Freedom Square. The outlets operating from the ruins of the old opera house will also have to close down as they do not feature in Mr Piano's plans.
Work on the project was meant to have started this month. Last year the government said it wanted to finish the project by the end of this administration in four years' time.
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P. Schembri
Jan 20th 2010, 10:06
@Malcolm Reeves. Sorry you're mistaken. It was Mintoff who replaced the Valletta Gate with the present monstrosity. It was the PN Government in the late 60's.
Neil Sant
Jan 20th 2010, 08:55
Haha nice on Victor Pulis! Keep em comin'!
Daniel C
Jan 20th 2010, 08:48
Can't they just clean the current gate & use the money for something we actually NEED
s.baldacchino
Jan 20th 2010, 06:18
This project sounds like the M25 in the UK, stop,go,stop,go...
Phil Humphries
Jan 20th 2010, 00:29
Even taking this latest delay into account, it still amazes me how quickly the Government can get things moving when its it wants someting for itself, like clearing the way for the new Parliament Building, yet it can drag its feet for years when the public wants something.
Now we know why building the Cirkewwa terminal has been delayed; Clearly funds are needed to finish the Gonzi monument to architectural ugliness ahead of the next election. I'll wager that his new parliament building will be operating years ahead of the Spring hunting issue being resolved.
Spineless, classless, self-indulgent and an insult to democracy are words that immediately spring to mind.
Christian Micallef
Jan 19th 2010, 22:47
Another excuse.. that means no money and the project completion date will be doubled for sure!
Joe Vella
Jan 19th 2010, 22:32
According to the MEPA website, the planning application is still being processed. Prime Minister Gonzi can ride roughshod over planning laws while Cikku l-Poplu waits patiently for his permit. Two weights, two measures?
Malcolm Reeves
Jan 19th 2010, 22:14
Can anyone explain why the Gate was not just restored to the original (pre-Mintoff) design, which would have been totally in keeping with the majority of the other original and historic Valletta buildings?
maria curmi
Jan 19th 2010, 20:08
BIEB IL BELT BLA BIEB !!!!!!!! Paroli Paroli piano piano slowly slowly dont forget MATER DEJN HOW LONG IT TOOK MANWEL DIMECH BRIDGE A BRIDGE TO FAR CIRKEWWA NEVER ENDING STORY AND SO ON MAYBE WILL GET SMART WITH SMART METERS AND SMART CITY
Lawrence Cardona
Jan 19th 2010, 16:56
here we go again now is the shopowners later the bus owners then the karnival then the people residing on top of the valletta city gate can some one tell me when we are going to start planing things properly in this country is this the best that we can have well i might die before i see it ready so i send a message to those that will see it ready you are going to be told that this was a long planed project and as you can see is a state of the art the only thing that they will never tell you is that it cost double or triple the amount projected cause time is money Mr Prime Minister or maybe you are waiting an early election so people will start blaming Labour Party by the way just thing of the Cirkewwa harbour i was young when they projected it now i'm old and is still not started what a shame this is the worse country in planing projects i wounder why turist lost there guts to visit as i lost my fate to see things get better
J Brincat
Jan 19th 2010, 16:32
As always, hicups, hicups & more hicups.
Philip Micallef
Jan 19th 2010, 16:21
Forsi l-Prim Ministru rega ra d-dawl! That's one in his favour.
M Camilleri
Jan 19th 2010, 13:49
I think the problem is neither the shop owners nor the lease contract, but MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
John B.Vincenti
Jan 19th 2010, 13:37
The only "Piano Plan" that comes to mind is his knack of leaching us of our money
Joe Azzopardi
Jan 19th 2010, 13:17
Certainly not an auspicious start for a project that has the potential of truly transforming that part of Valletta into something worth the rest of the capital. I am not one that likes to put a political overtone on every issue. Indeed I'd rather all issues be free of the continuous political overtones, but it must be said it does not look very sharp both for the current government and the PM. Let's hope works will commence and proceed ASAP.
victor pulis
Jan 19th 2010, 12:52
Have the pigeons been consulted and informed to look for alternative perches instead of city gate?!
Galea. L
Jan 19th 2010, 12:45
The destruction and vandalization of our capital city has at least got a three-month reprieve.
Manuel Micallef
Jan 19th 2010, 11:46
Skuza wara l'ohra, bhas-soltu....
Romano Tebaldi
Jan 19th 2010, 11:21
"The new city gate"? Wow! What a pompous name for what will end up simply being a hole in the fortifications of Valletta. The Italian Bersaglieri did exactly the same in 1870 at Porta Pia (Rome) with some dynamite and it did not cost a harm and a leg like in the case of Piano's project.
M. Galea
Jan 19th 2010, 10:55
What's new?
The shops had enough time to look for alternative venues.
Mary Mizzi
Jan 19th 2010, 10:15
Bdejna......skuzi ghax ma bdejnhiex ......