An application to construct an eight-storey complex in Mellieħa has been filed for a site previously earmarked by the locality’s council for a community centre.

The project, which includes 120 apartments, a hotel, shopping complex and an underground car park is spearheaded by three development companies, including the one entrusted to build the Mercury Towers in Paceville,

Located next to the former Belleview bakery, the site is made up of two large adjacent plots with a combined footprint of 3,600 square metres. In 2015, a tender was issued by the Lands Department for the sale of these plots. According to the conditions published in The Government Gazette, only bids of at least €2.5 million would be considered.

Though this newspaper could not establish who had acquired the land and the selling price, from the planning authority’s website it emerged that on May 24 of this year an application was filed for the construction of a “mixed used complex”.

The project was proposed by Gozitan development company J Portelli Projects, who are behind the Mercury Towers in Paceville, Agius Projects and DTX Projects.

The application for the complex is still in its initial stages, as the developer has yet to submit environmental and transport impact assessment studies.

Prior to this proposal, the local council expressed its wish to construct a community centre, complete with an underground car park and an indoor pool, on the same site.

The flats are being advertised, though the application is
still pending

This idea had been floated by Mellieħa mayor John Buttigieg during a presentation at a Cabinet meeting in the northern locality in January 2014. On that occasion, the council requested government’s support due to the huge financial outlay such a project would involve.

Asked for his reaction since the proposal would not materialise, Mr Buttigieg said the council had commissioned a planning consultant to evaluate the project before addressing the matter.

An artist’s impression.

For this reason, he declined to say if they would be objecting or if it was acceptable to build three or four storeys higher than the surrounding neighbourhood.

“However, one option we are exploring is to reach some kind of agreement with the developer so that the community also benefits from this project,” he remarked.

This newspaper also sought the views of Mr Buttigieg’s predecessor, Nationalist MP Robert Cutajar, who offered a much more critical evaluation.

He noted that until 2013, when he was still mayor, the council was in talks with the Lands Department, as there were already signs that the government wanted to sell this parcel of land.

Mr Cutajar noted that the council was lobbying to oblige the developer acquiring the plot to reserve an entire floor for a multi-purpose hall from which NGOs would benefit.

“The council was also insisting that the proposed development would stick with the surrounding height restrictions at the time, consisting of three storeys and a penthouse,” Mr Cutajar said.

The former mayor also pointed out that until 2013, the council had an encroachment agreement whereby this site was used as a temporary car park for large scale activities like Milied Mellieħi and Iljieli Melliħin.

Commenting on the proposed development, Mr Cutajar questioned whether the existing height limitation policy would be respected and if the social, environmental and traffic impacts would be given weight by the planning authority.

Moreover, he pointed out that the apartments were already being advertised, even though the application was still pending.