Plans for an underground car park housing 134 vehicles within a new research block at the University have been shelved and the space will instead be used for laboratories.
The change of plans came about at a very late stage, when a development permit had already been issued for the construction of a four-storey block overlying four underground levels accommodating library archives, storage and three car parking levels.
The design also incorporated a pedestrian landscaped plaza at ground level.
Following the granting of the permit last March, excavation works started immediately on this site adjacent to the library. Prior to the start of excavation this open space was a parking facility for about 60 cars.
However, some weeks ago work ground to a halt leaving a four-storey deep gaping hole in the middle, which is fast turning into an eyesore.
Students who spoke to this newspaper questioned why this much-needed project which would have somewhat eased the acute parking problem had been put on the back burner.
A University spokeswoman said that the €10 million project is now earmarked for completion in 2019.
However, she pointed out that following a “change in the scope of the operations of the building”, it transpired that the project became eligible for EU funding.
While no reason was given for the change in plans, the spokeswoman said that the application to finance the facility through the European Regional Development Funds was still pending.
“Under the revised plans, the University will utilise the underlying spaces as laboratories instead of parking,” the spokeswoman confirmed.
Apart from slowing down the project, the decision to go back to the drawing board also means that the university has to submit fresh plans to the planning watchdog.
Furthermore, the revised plan will negatively impact the parking problem on campus, at least for the short term. The original design had been commended by the PA’s case officer as it would have increased spaces by 76, over and above those which were lost to make way for the development.
Asked what measures was the University taking to address this shortage, the spokeswoman said the lost parking spaces had been temporarily recouped by setting a car park next to the five-a-side football on the other side of the campus.
As for the long term, she said that the solution would be to create extra slots underneath the new block which is being planned on the site currently occupied by the engineering Workshops and Dar Ġużeppi Zahra. However, no timeframes were given for this project.