The developers of the Metropolis Plaza in Gżira, which will feature the tallest building on the island, will today request a renewal of the permit.
The full development permit of the project – a €60 million mixed-use lifestyle development in the heart of Gżira – was approved by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority in March 2009.
Metropolis Plaza will include three high-rise buildings consisting of 13, 27 and 33 floors.
The project includes luxury residential, commercial, health, fitness and leisure facilities and 500 underlying parking spaces.
The developers aim to create a catalyst project for urban regeneration that would encourage further high-quality redevelopment in the area.
In 2010, Metropolis Developments Ltd had said construction work was meant to begin no later than the third quarter of that year.
Back then, managing director Christopher Pace said 35 residential units and 60 car spaces had already been sold.
The demolition and excavation of the site had already been completed in 2008 after Mepa granted an outline development permit in June 2007 but construction work never started.
In August 2010, Global Capital sold its 41 per cent stake in Metropolis Plaza for €3.8 million to Dutch company Raykan BV, which belongs to prominent Libyan businessman Husni Bey.
The planning board is today expected to decide on the renewal of the full development permit including minor amendments to some of the residential units, taking into consideration recommendations by the National Commission Persons with Disability.
The development featured in a 2008 urban design strategy report on tall buildings in Malta, funded by William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board and the Council for International Exchange of Scholars. The purpose of the paper was to offer advice to Mepa planning professionals and provide policy guidelines.
Among other things, author Dr M Ali concluded:“Mepa should proceed slowly and take more time. Lack of a master plan results in uncontrolled developments and unpredictable impacts on urban life” while “future tall building developments should not be considered without further studies and master planning”.
According to Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar these are wise words in light of today’s decision on the Metropolis project.
FAA said that Dr Ali had also expressed his conviction during a meeting in 2008 with NGOs that “Maltese social culture does not lend itself to high-rise living with the obligation it implies in living in close quarters with so many people”.
“The average Maltese buyer is not aware of the high maintenance costs and relatively short life of tall buildings, so defaulting on maintenance costs is frequent, leading to the gradual neglect of apartment blocks.
“While abroad high-rise blocks are usually retained by one owner, in Malta they are sold off individually, creating massive problems when rising maintenance costs make demolition inevitable.”