Apartment block to replace Metropole Hotel in Sliema

The Metropole Hotel in Sir Adrian Dingli Street, Sliema will soon be demolished and replaced with a lower and more tasteful block of apartments that incorporates architectural elements from the rest of the street.

The full development permit was unanimously approved by the planning authority board yesterday. It covers the demolition, construction of underground parking, a shop, five storeys of apartments and penthouses.

The hotel is on a corner between three streets – Sir Adrian Dingli, Karm Galea and George Borg – but mainly overlooks Dingli Circus.

The proposed building will be one storey lower than the hotel: six floors along with four basement levels that will be used as a car park.

Although 62 parking spaces are required for the apartments, the basement will include 90 parking bays. The additional spaces will ease the street parking problem in the area and were favourably recommended by the planning directorate.

The facade of a townhouse, which forms part of the property and overlooks Karm Galea Street, and the design of the apartments include various traditional elements found in urban conservation areas, such as timber and open wrought-iron balconies.

During the board hearing, deputy chairman Franco Montesin pointed out that it was strange that Enemalta did not reply to the project’s plans – especially because a substation might be needed for the number of apartments that were going to be built.