MFCC to invest €10 million in new centre
Photo: Jason Borg
The Malta Fairs and Convention Centre will be investing €10 million on the construction of a new permanent centre covering a footprint of over 38,000 square metres adjacent to the present tent it has in Ta’ Qali.
The agreement was signed this morning by MFCC directors and Land Minister Jason Azzopardi.
Through the agreement, the government passed on to the company the 28,000 square metres of land it presently occupied by the current two tents and the area around them and the 38,000 square metres presently occupied by the Assocjazzjoni Sports Muturi.
The latter will be moving to another plot of land which is double the area with the €250,000 cost of relocation being borne by the MFCC.
The government is passing on the land to the MFCC on a temporary emphyteusis for 65 years against €186,000 in the first year, which sum will increase gradually each year reaching over €470,000 by the end of the 65th year.
Dr Azzopardi said that the MFCC already employed 60 people and the number was set to increase with the new centre.
The emphyteusis was granted following a resolution in Parliament and the planned exhibition centre would be a state of the art permanent building which would be constructed over the next five years and enable Malta to attract more conference tourism.
Earlier this year Mepa revisited the Ta Qali action plan, which the Convention Centre now forms part of.
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32 Comments
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Steve Zammit
Dec 29th 2012, 17:55
for what?
Stop destroying Ta Qali
And where is the alternative site for the motoring track?
Alfred Farrugia
Dec 28th 2012, 19:29
When did the Government sign the agreement with the Assocjazzjoni Sport Muturi for the alternative site?
What happened to the Mediterranean Conference Centre? How many more Conference Centres do we have? What is the area occupied by all the Conference Centres put together, including those of the hotels?
Joseph Markham
Dec 28th 2012, 18:31
Another wanton destructive act of the few open spaces left in this country....
Shame!
Christian Falzon
Dec 28th 2012, 18:07
And with all this investment where is gonna be held now big concerts like laura pausini or big djs that leave a lot of money??? We gonna loose them or maybe il fossos??
Julianne Marie Brincat
Dec 28th 2012, 17:56
Every little green spot is being taken up;Malta has become a gruesome site. Will our generation&future ones have some greenery area to recreate themselves? Shall everyone remain inside? Are we just looking at conference tourism? What about all the other traits&niches of tourism? The government is looking into short term planning rather than long term,leading to fast results with appalling effects.
C Borg
Dec 28th 2012, 17:16
Wasn't this tent erected as a temporary structure? Can the minister explain this fact? Do they already know that the permits will be granted despite this area being an ODZ?
Moreover, parking in this area becomes impossible on days when important football matches and other events are on. This is happening for the si mple fact that the area occupied by the tent used to be a parking lot.
Andre Grech
Dec 28th 2012, 17:13
At €3 per square metre per year everyone would have afforded it. Why wasn't any tenders issued?
John Attard
Dec 29th 2012, 10:15
Very true but for tal -klikka...flimkien kollox possibli ! Any way another issue which PL should stop from proceeding unless this was discussed in Parliament and they agreed to it too...! You never know
Joe Pavia
Dec 28th 2012, 16:40
Oh yeah people of little faith.
Carmel Camilleri
Dec 28th 2012, 15:06
If i remember well the MFCC was given permission to occupy the present site on a temporarily basis. Now it is officially being extended to 65yrs. Has the environmental position changed since then.
Daniel Camilleri
Dec 28th 2012, 14:35
What a pity.
J Micallef
Dec 28th 2012, 14:28
What for? Half-full venues?
J Micallef
Dec 28th 2012, 14:27
...and more public land being given up to the klikka...
W. Cassar
Dec 28th 2012, 14:15
Im against this purely because they are building on one of the last central open spaces. Surely there are other sites that could be considered!
John Zammit
Dec 28th 2012, 14:05
While Boosting of giving back land to the people just in a form of a square (Pjazza Sant-Anna in Sliema) with one hand from behind he steal a large area that was promised to the public
Paul Cassar
Dec 28th 2012, 13:38
BUT PLEASE.........where is the photo montage and model....to fool some people into thinking that all is up and running ..........................expect many, many more such fairy tale projects as election approaches...............remember smart city, white rocks, ta qali complex.................................
Lawrence Fenech
Dec 28th 2012, 13:19
Alla jbierek kollox qabel l' elezzjoni parigg Il-Villagg ta' Qali, lis-sports centre Sant Andrew u salt holm li baqa' fl'ajru..
j brincat
Dec 28th 2012, 12:57
One only wonders how these things 'coincidently ' invariably happen BEFORE an election.
Doesn't take that much of our grey matter to understand the rational, no?
jb
Romano Cassar
Dec 28th 2012, 12:49
This works out at €2.55 per square metre, increasing to €7.12 per square metre after 65 years.
Claudio Cilia
Dec 28th 2012, 12:27
So now we'll have a place to host the Eurovision? hehe :P
J Micallef
Dec 28th 2012, 14:27
Goo done.
Franco Farrugia
Dec 28th 2012, 12:09
'Revisiting' is the order of the day, with MEPA. Imbierek Alla.
Kevin Camilleri
Dec 28th 2012, 12:06
I think that the Gov got the Ta' Qali area all wrong. Motorsport Enthusiasts have been craving for years to have a proper decent track, and instead of turning the whole ta Qali area in a race track, with the adjacent areas for entertainment, recreation, sports etc, it is being turned into another building site. It's a pity.
Denis Pace
Dec 28th 2012, 12:59
God forbid! What a nightmare that would be!
Mr Alexander Azzopardi
Dec 28th 2012, 12:02
Gas down ta qabel l elezjoni dal permissi hi is soltu typical PN!
Joseph Aquilina
Dec 28th 2012, 12:48
I know it hurts you when you see that FACTS show that Joseph Muscat was wrong (for how many times now? ... lost count), there is money in our country and that money is still being invested in our country!! It seems to me that the only people who do not believe in Malta and the Maltese all support lejber!!
A. Xuereb
Dec 28th 2012, 12:59
Mr Aquilina I see you have a knack for twisting facts and wishful thinking. It s disgusting how things are being rushed through even over the Xmas period to accommodate the few chosen ones, in what is simply an excercise in vote catching.Yes of course there is money in our country, ask those who have 10 fingers in every pie!
Lawrence Fenech
Dec 28th 2012, 13:25
@Aquilina.
Why not ask GonziPN for a 500 euro per week raise, or a job at the Ghost City or a Job with the Brazilian firm.
Mr Alexander Azzopardi
Dec 28th 2012, 13:45
Att; Aquilna.
Check this link to see where s the money!!!
http://www.timesofmalta.com/mobile/view/20121228/local/deficit-widens-by.451145
M. Zammit
Dec 28th 2012, 14:15
It's called "make hay whilst the sun shines". This to me is corruption and the present government should be held personally liable!
Carmel Camilleri
Dec 28th 2012, 18:15
@lawrence Fenech . or a job with Dirghajn il-Maltin, jew pijunieri with bare minimum wage under military discipline as used to happen during labour Governments.
Charles Mifsud
Dec 28th 2012, 11:56
The people in Parliament should be held liable for the difference in the real market price that would be achievable through a tender and the amount they are going to receive. It would have been better if this deal did not go through parliament like the St.Philips one so that the peoples outcry will be the same. Shame on all Labour and Nationalists in government.
Charles Mifsud
Dec 28th 2012, 11:49
Why was no tender is issued for this land. This is government land (or the peoples land) and for some reason I don't trust either the Labour Party or Nationalist Party when it comes to gov land. Come on Eur168,000 a year at the beginning, are these people crazy. You pay that much rent for a restaurant in Sliema now a days and I am expected to believe that the country got a deal
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