Buġibba’s Empire cinema is earmarked for demolition, to be replaced by a 167-bedroom hotel with a supermarket at groundfloor, according to a planning application that is still to be decided.

According to the application, construction magnate Carmel Polidano, known as Iċ-Ċaqnu, applied to demolish the existing Empire Cinema Complex. The complex includes seven cinema auditoriums, restaurants, three levels of parking and an apartment block. These are located on Triq il-Bardnell and Triq il-Ġifen.

The application (PA/03858/23) proposes the construction of a 167-bedroom hotel on 11 levels, including five levels of basement parking. The development will include a restaurant outlet at lower groundfloor and a supermarket at upper groundfloor.

The Empire complex is owned and managed by the Polidano Group. The cinema closed down during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and never reopened its doors. Over the past few years, there have been rumours that the cinema would be refurbished.

In October 2023, Newsbook reported that there was an application to build a 144-bedroom hotel on 10 floors. Back then, the project was still undergoing initial screening.

On April 17 this year, the project was validated for initial processing and the site notice was affixed. Objectors have until May 17 to make any representations.

Among those which already objected to the plans was the St Paul’s Bay local council, which asked to be informed about updates to the application process.

As of Monday morning, the site notice was still referring to the 144-bedroom option. A spokesperson from the architectural firm, Martin Xuereb & Associates, said this mistake was being addressed and the notice would be replaced with the updated version.