The only bid received for the redevelopment of Marfa Palace is being evaluated by three independent architects, and will then be passed on to the Lands Authority for further assessment, according to the Capital Projects Ministry.
Replying to a Parliamentary Question by MP Clayton Bartolo, Capital Projects Minister Ian Borg said the bid includes the valuation as well as the actual proposals for the palace’s use.
In October 2013, the government had issued an expression of interest for use of the site, a former artillery battery in Marfa also known as Wied Musa, but although six expressions of interest were received, only one bid was made when a request was made for formal proposals.
The bid was made by Exclusivity Malta Ltd, who intend to transform it into an upmarket boutique hotel.
The ministry said that if the Lands Authority approved the bid, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) would then be signed with the bidder. The MOU would then be presented in Parliament as it would require a parliamentary resolution.
Once the MOU is approved, the final contract will then be signed based on the terms and conditions identified in the MOU.
Minister Michael Falzon had said at the time of the call for expressions of interest that the government wanted a 45-year lease, to balance the investment by the bidders with government control of the site.
The bid was made by Exclusivity Malta Ltd, who intend to transform it into an upmarket boutique hotel
The battery was built by the Order of Saint John in 1714–1716 as one of a series of coastal fortifications around the Maltese Islands, in this case protecting the South Comino Channel. In the 19th century, the battery was converted into the Marfa Palace Hotel, and extensively modified. It was later used as a retreat house and summer residence by the St Joseph Home of Santa Venera, and as a police station. The structure fell into disuse in the 1990s, and it was illegally occupied by squatters. These were evicted after a fire broke out in 2005, and the hotel and battery have remained abandoned ever since.
At the time, media reports said that renovation would cost an estimated €1.2 million, and that it could fetch up to €10 million if converted into a private residence.