EU funds bring ‘good fortune’ to Cospicua
Work to transform the Dock One area in Cospicua into a promenade to be enjoyed by the public is well underway but the government has no idea yet on how to use the historical warehouses along the dock. The warehouses, some parts of which date back to...
Work to transform the Dock One area in Cospicua into a promenade to be enjoyed by the public is well underway but the government has no idea yet on how to use the historical warehouses along the dock.
The warehouses, some parts of which date back to the period of the Knights, will be rehabilitated but the government-owned company carrying out the works is still evaluating the best use for them.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt toured the site yesterday accompanied by the chief executive of the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation, Chris Paris.
Plans approved by the pre-2008 Nationalist Administration had suggested the construction of apartments and commercial use for the historical buildings. Those plans were scrapped after the last election when a decision was taken to rehabilitate the whole stretch of Xatt ir-Risq from Vittoriosa to Cospicua.
The development is expected to cost €7.5 million with the EU covering 85 per cent of the expenditure. It will be ready by April next year.
The government is also investing some €1.6 million in embellishment works around the San Ġwann t’Għuxa and Verdala housing estates in Cospicua.
The rehabilitation of the dock and the promenade will transform the area into an open space that will also link up with two of Cospicua’s main squares: the one in front of the St George’s band club and Gavino Gulia, where the signature red gate to Dock One is situated.
The two squares will become pedestrian-priority areas and traffic calming measures will be introduced to allow pedestrians free access to the promenade.
A staircase and lifts will link the Dock One area to the road above it that leads into Senglea, creating a continuous meander joining Cottonera’s Three Cities.
The wall and iron bars that cordon off the Dock One area will be removed and the pavement from in front of St Theresa’s church leading towards Vittoriosa will be widened to create a secondary promenade overlooking the one below.
In a brief comment after walking through what is currently a construction site, Dr Gonzi said the area, previously used for industrial purposes, would be given back to the people.
“The development at Dock One is another sign of the government’s commitment to improve the quality of life in the south,” Dr Gonzi said.
It was Dr Gonzi’s second visit in as many days to a locality in the south. A day earlier he inaugurated the sewage treatment in Ta’ Barkat Xgħajra.
The regeneration of Dock One resembles a rollercoaster ride with promises for redevelopment going as far back as 1996. Plans were drawn up only to be scrapped and re-drawn again.