PM, Piano to hold mystery meeting
Over 1,000 objections to Piano's plans
Over the next few weeks the Prime Minister will be meeting Italian architect Renzo Piano to discuss "particular points" of the Valletta City Gate project.
However, Lawrence Gonzi would not elaborate, saying only that he was confident that the project would start this year following planning approval.
When contacted, a spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office said it was best not to divulge the nature of these "particular points" at this stage.
The spokesman said that Dr Gonzi would be meeting Mr Piano as the project was of national importance.
Speaking during a party activity, Dr Gonzi said: "God willing we will move forward... In the next few weeks I'm to meet him (Mr Piano) again to conclude certain particular points. I hope that, in the next few months, or even weeks, works will start. Naturally, this would happen after the Mepa planning process is concluded... 2010 will see the start of works on City Gate," Mr Gonzi said.
In the typical style of Sunday morning PN public dialogues, Dr Gonzi yesterday touched on a variety of subjects as he answered questions by The Malta Independent journalist Annaliza Borg.
He explained that during the last legislature, he had approached world-renowned architect Mr Piano to reignite the City Gate project.
Consequently, Mr Piano returned to Malta after his original proposal for City Gate, some 20 years earlier, was rejected following huge controversy mostly surrounding the Royal Opera House.
The controversy was somewhat rekindled last summer when Mr Piano unveiled his new plans for City Gate and the Opera House.
According to the new plans, the new Parliament building will be elevated on stilts in Freedom Square, the Opera House site ruins will be transformed into an open-air theatre and City Gate will be demolished to create a more modest and meaningful entrance, while restoring Republic Street as the capital's spine.
The project is now awaiting approval from the Malta Environment and Planning Authority which received over 1,000 objections to Mr Piano's plans.
Apart from objecting to the plans, many have criticised the cost of the project at a time when Malta is struggling with the effects of the global financial crisis.
Until October last year, the government had paid Mr Piano's office €1,320,000 for the design of the entrance to Valletta, according to recent figures given in Parliament. The cost of the entire project would depend on the value of the work done.