Underground car park is proposed for Spinola
Privately financed scheme could ease parking issues without spoiling area
A four-storey underground car park is being proposed for Spinola to alleviate parking problems and traffic congestion without using taxpayer’s money.
Unlike the €7 million car park proposed for the Sliema Ferries, which will partly be funded by the planning authority’s Commuted Parking Payment Scheme, the Spinola car park will be self-funded through private enterprise.
The site has already been earmarked for a car park in the 2006 local plan and will be crucial for the Spinola area once the Government fulfils its plans to pedestrianise the area.
Architect Ray DeMicoli, spearheading the consortium Equinox Ventures Ltd, says the project will incorporate a supermarket, office and retail spaces, as well as 22 residential units.
It will be situated adjacent to the St Julian’s parish church.
Since studies have shown the car park will only be full during weekends, the other income is crucial to making the project sustainable, according to Mr DeMicoli.
The development, which has yet to be given the planning authority’s approval, will retain the green character of the as yet undeveloped area through a series of terraces full of vegetation.
According to the plans, there will be more trees than currently exist on the abandoned land and all of the carob and olive trees will be transplanted and retained.
The roof will be turned into a lawn not to spoil the views of overlying apartments and to act as insulation.
Mr DeMicoli says the project is intended to contribute to the community rather than create more problems for an area that already suffers from heavy congestion and poor traffic management.
Each floor will be terraced backwards and the whole development will be kept much lower than allowed by planning regulations so as not to block the views of residents living behind the site on Lapsi Street.
Cars will only be able to access the 433-space car park from the main road (Mikiel Ang. Borg Street), in line with the current traffic flow, but a series of lifts and paths will also facilitate access for pedestrians wanting to walk to the Church or the piazza.
Meanwhile, sophisticated air vents will push car fumes to the main road rather than residential spaces and the rock that is excavated will be recycled into concrete aggregate, partly used to build the same area.
Mr De Micoli says the project will also contribute to a number of the country’s objectives regarding tourism and business.
“Spinola is bustling with activity. Restaurants and hotels are full, apartments are immediately rented out at high prices and office space is very difficult to come by,” he says, pointing out that the idea for the project came from his own firm’s need to find larger premises.
Mr DeMicoli, whose portfolio includes Portomaso, says he intends to maintain good neighbourly relations and is already working overtime to convince sceptical residents that they too stand to gain from this project.
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27 Comments
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Ray Pisani
Dec 24th 2012, 14:24
I think the architect has gone overboard with his greenery - just to make the overdevelopment more pleasant to look at. Why purchase an apartment and plant a tree to obstruct the view?
With all respect the public will lose out for sure. I make it a point never to pass from Spinola with my car as the traffic is so congested - imagine it until all the devlopment goes up and then what - more chaos?
Romina Montesin
Dec 11th 2012, 11:58
I am a resident in this area of St Julian's and in my opinion this project is beneficial to the residents who live in the area, rather then a hinderance. The car park will surely alleviate the traffic and parking problem there is. Thumbs up to this project!!!
Pavlaki Pano Aroditis
Dec 9th 2012, 23:47
Paraphrase: We want to build new flats and extra space for cars. We are doing a "public service" by renting out these spaces to the public. The authorities won't pay anything; you as users will. And we'll make a lot of money out of you gullible geysers. And we'll be laughing all the way to the Bank . How gullible do the architect/developers think the public is through planting this article?
C Spiteri Staines
Dec 9th 2012, 16:45
It is important to see this development in perspective with the St.Julians Parish Church. This church designed by Arthur Zammit is an architectural gem of the Maltese islands. It should be disallowed that any form of development would dwarf it. Unfortunately the 'pics' submitted do not show the development vis-a-vis the church. The Church authorities should be wary of this development.
joe briffa
Dec 9th 2012, 16:06
I guess much money is being spent only on cars,horse cabs,useless water dog and water parks,but what is really needed is being ignored, that is IL-POPLU !!!! I guess its about t ime that any present or future goverment starts to find a good way how we can make oour homes comfortable to live in especially in winter, like a central heating system...
A. E. ABELA
Dec 9th 2012, 14:51
you see - I got the opportunity in this lifetime of mine to expirience the very stealty monster called common sense.
James Tyrrell
Dec 9th 2012, 14:46
I was wondering why the Spinola car park would be self-funded through private enterprise. Strange that a private enterprise would do something like this. Then I read further and found the supermarket, office and retail spaces, as well as 22 residential units. So this is actually a residential development with shops which of course will need car parking spaces. And this benefits the community how?
Joseph Galea
Dec 10th 2012, 08:23
Surely a few apartments and a supermarket will not need four storeys of underground parking. The community benefit is that one will be more likely to find a apace to park in the popular Spinola area, especially during weekends. Of course, the professional moaners on this island will complain that they will have to pay for the benefit.
Michel Spiteri
Dec 9th 2012, 14:20
(1)We appreciate that a car park will be beneficial to St Julians because it will provide another 433 spaces in an area desperately crying out for parking as more and more businesses set up shop in St Julians. The parking problem however exists because the area is over developed and no serious planning has gone into traffic flow and management. Moreover, the project incoporates another 22...
Michel Spiteri
Dec 9th 2012, 14:18
(2)...residential units, a supermarket, office and retail spaces, attracting even more cars and people to a highly overdeveloped area so unfortunately the cons outweigh the pros. In our dealings with MEPA, MEPA has been pro-active and as a result Perit Demicoli has come up with alternate plans for the square which include new traffic arrangements which will alleviate the traffic problems we face..
Michel Spiteri
Dec 9th 2012, 14:16
(3)...While this is not the right time for a government to implement new projects as it is at the end of its term, we strongly urge the political parties to include the square as one of the projects they will implement if voted into power. We can only agree to new projects if there is the political will to solve the problems we are facing.
Michel Spiteri
St Julian's Residents Association
Tonio Bone
Dec 9th 2012, 13:46
From what I see another case of a 'spoon full of sugar for the medicine to go down'. The 433 car park will be already booked by residents, employees and customers as is the case with all other similar projects. The sales pitch of creating parking spaces does not really work anymore, it is being used to push in more development in an already over developed country!
Joseph Camilleri
Dec 9th 2012, 13:33
Who ever will be in government in 3 months time, i hope that this project will be fulfilled! Makes sense 100% !! Well done! ...enough papers now, let's get to work!
S. Camilleri
Dec 9th 2012, 11:05
Nice Picture! Who will be taking care of those trees? Are the authorities going to mandate trees and shrubbery on those apartments? Will residents be obliged to maintain them ?
P Bonnici
Dec 9th 2012, 14:22
The trees will dry and die after completion of this project, then they will be uprooted. At least the project was approved.
M Sciberras
Dec 9th 2012, 10:47
I recall that the Valletta giant hole of a car park was always originally meant to be landscaped according to the approved plans. But what we ended up with was a giant hole.
Lawrence Fenech
Dec 9th 2012, 10:11
To be ready for use by 7th January by GonziPN.
Joe Aquilina
Dec 9th 2012, 10:04
"Since studies have shown the car park will only be full during weekends, the other income is crucial to making the project sustainable" - then do i understand that parking will be FREE throughout the week?
Mr Simon Camilleri
Dec 9th 2012, 11:26
Not at all. What he means is that the Car Park will also include a good number of commercial outlets which attract people such as supermarkets, restaurants and bars etc so the rental from these enterprises and the added custom from the shoppers and employees, who will make use of the car park, will make the project profitable.
Joseph Eynaud
Dec 9th 2012, 09:48
dan kollu holm fuq il-karta!!
Brigid Garroni
Dec 9th 2012, 09:36
Let's hope there won't be another spate of protests from residents, leading to the scrapping of this badly-needed project. The Balluta and Qui Si Sana proposals would have eased the long-standing parking problems in an area where residents themselves suffer to park their own cars all the time, let alone when there are other cars coming in from elsewhere.
julian caruana
Dec 9th 2012, 10:50
Dear ms Garroni,
i can assure you that the St Julian residents will not protest something which is potentially beneficial to us all. Arch Demicoli choose to actually have talks with us prior to him even submitting an application, a lot of positive suggestions came out from these meetings and that s the way developers architects should work hand in hand with the residents not behind their back,
G G Debono
Dec 9th 2012, 14:04
Sadly needed project ? It is madness
1) This will bring even more traffic congestion and pollution to St Julians
2 ) The proposed supermarket will make a few people rich and bankrupt another another ten or so local grocers shops etc . Closure of these shops will further degrade street life.
Astrid Vella
Dec 9th 2012, 18:53
As has often been said in the past,Qui si-Sana residents were not against the idea of a car park,but against all the commercial outlets built into that project,the thin end of the wedge to creating another Paceville. The residents requested a car park without cafes and bars,which never materialised,proving the fact that the carpark project was built around the commercial element,not vice-versa!
Matthew Sant
Dec 9th 2012, 09:34
"all of the carob and olive trees will be transplanted and retained" Since when one can uproot Carob Trees?
Charles W. Sammut
Dec 9th 2012, 15:55
In the weeks preceding an election, even uprooting and transplanting carob trees is possible.
Mr Richard Bonello
Dec 9th 2012, 09:31
Sorry but like so many other projects e.g. the proposed Home for the Elderly, I'll only believe this when I see it!!
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