A genuine effort should be made to find an alternative, less pristine site for the construction of the proposed American university, Malta Developers Association president Sandro Chetcuti said.

The site earmarked by the government covers an area of about 90,000 square metres close to the Żonqor area, in Marsascala.

“We wish the government would look around for other options,” Mr Chetcuti told Times of Malta.

“While we wholly welcome the project in the south of the island, the site indicated is intact, virgin, beautiful land. In fact, there’s a road there called Triq Għaxqet il-Għajn [scenic view road]. I believe that a genuine effort should be made to find an alternative site in the south. For instance, there’s a stretch of shabby, neglected land between Smart City and Marsascala. There’s an isolated building and the rest is neglected fields. I don’t know if it belongs to the government or not but it would be ideal.”

More in Times of Malta.