via GIPHY

The tower and hotel proposed in place of the Institute of Tourism Studies in St George’s Bay will double traffic in the area and impact important views, according to new environmental studies.

The €300 million City Centre development – which has been embroiled in major controversy over the €60 million developers db Group paid for the public land – will include a 37-storey residential tower, a 17-storey Hard Rock Hotel, a casino and shopping mall. Earlier plans featuring a second tower have since been dropped.

More than 1,500 pages of technical studies regarding the development were this week made available for public consultation as part of the Environment Impact Assessment process.

via GIPHY

The studies conclude that average daily traffic in the area will increase by around 7,000 trips, in addition to another 3,000 from the neighbouring Villa Rosa development. Together, these projects will double the current traffic load of around 10,000 trips.

The traffic impact is proposed to be mitigated by the implementation of a Green Travel Plan.

The massive scale of the project is also expected to have a significant visual impact beyond the obvious effect on its immediate surroundings.

Important long-distance views from Mdina will be affected while the proposed high-rise will also creep over the Valletta skyline as seen from Vittoriosa.

The project will necessitate the move of the Institute of Tourism Studies to Smart City, while the current Grade 2 scheduled campus will be demolished and rebuilt as part of the new hotel.

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