The government has issued three expressions of interest calling for ideas to regenerate Valletta.
The Parliamentary Secretary for Planning, Michael Farrugia, said the government had its own ideas but wanted to hear from the private sector with the aim of holistically reviving the capital.
It wants to have ideas for a master plan for Valletta and the surrounding areas, for the regeneration of Strait Street through innovative façade designs and street furniture and the restoration of the old market in Merchants Street.
Dr Farrugia said that although the projects were being conceived against the backdrop of the Valletta European Capital of Culture 2018, the government wanted this vision to stretch beyond.
“We want to make our capital city vibrant as it once was. We want to turn it from a dead city into one that remains alive, possibly around the clock,” he said.
“Some bars and restaurants opened in the city, including in Strait Street, but we are enthusiastic to see the area look better than it already is,” he said. Dr Farrugia said that once the calls closed on April 14, the government would evaluate the ideas and then embark on a public consultation process.
The head of the civil service, Mario Cutajar, noted that about 40 per cent of the feedback the government received was about Valletta and the surrounding areas, adding that the government’s vision was to place the capital “on a pedestal”. He hoped the master plan for Valletta would be concluded by the end of the year.
The government wanted to give life to Valletta through projects having State and private investment or a mixture of both.
Asked about the idea of having an underground car park, Dr Farrugia said having such a structure in the city was problematic because of heritage concerns but the government was identifying areas on the outskirts that could be used for the purpose. It was also considering making better use of sections of the Valletta ditch to alleviate the parking problem.
Plans for an extension to the MCP car park were still in place but they were being revisited at the owners’ request.