Imagine a forest of glassy high-rise towers sprouting out of designer pedestrian plazas and sprawling seaside promenades, and beneath it all, a state of the art transport network. That could be Paceville by 2020.

A new master plan for Malta’s entertainment and tourist district, launched for public consultation by the Planning Authority this week, maps out how a shabby area could be regenerated to become a “prime coastal location” with a mix of five-star hotels, new homes and businesses.

For driving towards Paceville, a new tunnel would take motorists from the Regional Road tunnels all the way to the beginning of the Coast Road, doing away with the bottleneck that normally clogs up traffic around the entrance to Paceville. Some 60 per cent of Paceville traffic would be done away with thanks to this tunnel.

Another tunnel underneath the nightlife district could see the end of cars being driven there at all.

The master plan’s vision for Paceville is of a ‘prime coastal location’ with a mix of five-star hotels, new homes and businesses

The master plan envisages a near-total pedestrianisation of the area, with underground passages leading to massive parking bays near new major developments and public areas.

What does Paceville lack today? According to the master plan’s authors, Mott Macdonald and Broadway Malyan, an iconic entrance.

This, much like the new City Gate in Valletta, would provide first impressions for visitors, tourists and potential investors. The main gateway into Paceville is expected to be at the top of Anton Vassalli hill and would lead to a number of new developments.

These include several towers, modern hotels and residential blocks, as well as large commercial spaces. In fact, a whole new business district could be built in the centre of Paceville, near the Mercury House project. This would be close to the public transport network, which could include a new tram service, to encourage sustainable travel in and out of the area.

Long pedestrian walkways are envisaged for the coastline stretching from the Corinthia area all the way to Portomaso, lined with cafes and restaurants – and not a single car in sight.

If cars are allowed to access the area, they will either have to make use of one of three large parking bays or be subject to payment for the privilege of parking along the curb.

The sandy area along St George’s Bay, meanwhile, would be almost doubled, as the beach there is considered a major attraction.

The master plan starts off, like many plans, by mapping out the current limitations and failings of the area.

Constraints:

• Limited public space

• Poor access to the coast

• Area dominated by traffic

• Unmanaged parking and congestion

• Arrival points or poor quality, creating an underwhelming first impression

• An underprovision of walking and cycling facilities

A rendering of what the Paceville Plaza, near the entrance to the Westin Dragonara, could look like.A rendering of what the Paceville Plaza, near the entrance to the Westin Dragonara, could look like.

Paceville Plaza

The master plan envisages a new Paceville Plaza, describing it as “a new heart” for the nightlife haven.

The plaza would see the redevelopment of the area outside of the Westin Dragonara into a pedestrianised central open public space, complete with cafes, restaurants and commercial outlets.

Not only would it gentrify the area, but according to the plan, it would create a multi-functional space for local events, festivals, seasonal markets and so on.

The image provides an illustration of how the Paceville Plaza could look.

The area would be directly next to an envisaged office quarter, which would mean that the area would be active both day and night.

The proposed St George’s Parade would transform the area around St George’s Bay.The proposed St George’s Parade would transform the area around St George’s Bay.

St George’s Parade

The master plan authors believe that the area around St George’s Bay could be transformed into “something very special”.

The image gives an idea of how this zone, nicknamed St George’s Parade, could look.

The view, taken looking back across the bay to the Villa Rosa, shows a modern promenade, free of traffic and parked cars.  The “high-quality plaza” would be sensitive to the existing historic structures, such as the iconic Villa Rosa.

Skyline changes

Paceville may get its very own iconic skyline.

The master plan is frank about the impact of the massive development proposed for the neighbourhood. Coupled with the limited availability of land, it means the area could soon be home to a number of tall buildings.

This does not mean that there is no plan. The document insists on the need for a skyline strategy for Paceville that is sensitive to the views from other key locations, such as Valetta and Sliema.

The image here shows the skyline today when viewed from St Julian’s and Sliema. The existing Portomaso Tower dominates the skyline. The render of what the skyline could look like in the future includes the tallest tower, Mercury House, on the far left, with buildings gradually stepping down towards the coast.

The existing Portomaso Tower fits within the skyline, whilst the new Portomaso development, on the newly created peninsula, is a lower rise building.

Transport:

Tunnels:

According to the master plan, the current congestion issues in and around Paceville are mainly the result of traffic along the Regional Road. An early assessment indicated that as well as improving existing conditions, the implementation of a tunnel there could also accommodate the traffic expected to be generated by additional development in Paceville.

As well as the Regional tunnel, another one underneath Paceville could serve major developments. It would be connected to the principal regional route and follow the perimeter of central Paceville underneath Triq Santu Wistin, Triq Dragonara, Triq Il Knisja and Triq Gort. It would include access to Villa Rosa, St George’s Park, the Westin Dragonara car park, Portomaso, Pender Place and the new Business Centre.

All of these sites would be required to provide free public parking.

Signage:

An intelligent transportation system would improve traffic flows throughout the area. All routes in Paceville would be covered by new variable messaging signs to indicate parking availability across the neighbourhood. Guiding parking in this way could significantly reduce congestion, as the need to cruise for a space would be reduced.

Public transport:

Nowhere in Paceville would be more than four minutes’ walk away from a public transport node, according to designs in the master plan. This would be achieved by upgrading the existing Pembroke Park and Ride site and implementing two new bus loops within Paceville.

The creation of a new Park and Ride south of Paceville is also proposed. The main bus corridor along Triq Mikiel Anton Vassalli would host a bus station at Triq Il-Mediterran that would be the departure point for a new quality public transit route that would start at Triq Gort and move down Triq San Gorg. The bus improvements would be supplemented with upgraded bus stop facilities.

The area would also be covered by a new cable car connecting Pembroke Park and Ride and the Hilton site via the Dragonara Casino and Marina Hotel Corinthia Beach Resort.

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