This is our ambitious plan to revive the Grand Harbour

If you stand at the entrance of the Grand Harbour for two minutes, you understand why this matters. Not even in a sentimental way, simply as a fact. The Grand Harbour is one of Malta’s strongest cards: historically, economically and culturally. Yet, parts of it are still underused, cut off or shaped by yesterday’s limits.

That is why, together with the prime minister and through the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation (GHRC), we launched the Grand Harbour Revival Plan: a long-term plan to turn the Grand Harbour into a living, working and cultural district that people actually use. A harbour where people work, where people go out, where people can live and where people can make memories.

It is the revival of the areas surrounding Marsa and Floriana, a plan that follows other major regeneration projects already undertaken by the GHRC and other government bodies, from Valletta to The Three Cities.

The Grand Harbour stands for heritage, identity and real communities, and we respect that first and foremost. Our job is to build on what is already strong, address what has been neglected and unlock potential that has been sitting there for too long.

We are conscious that people have heard plans and promises about the Grand Harbour before. That is precisely why this process is being handled differently – not as a finished vision presented for approval, but as a direction that is deliberately being opened to public discussion, followed by a pre-market consultation.

We are conscious that people have heard promises before

The aim is to revive the Grand Harbour waterfront as a district of international standing and one that respects our maritime heritage. We set the direction clearly – to prioritise public space and access to our sea; better-quality economic activity; cultural and creative destinations that belong in this setting; homes designed for locals rather than developments that overwhelm the skyline; and stronger connections by land and sea. The GHRC, in collaboration with international architects Chapman Taylor, assessed the area and devised a structured approach to how the revival can be realistically achieved.

It is important to be clear that the concepts and visuals presented are not final designs and are not set in stone. They are working ideas meant to start a conversation, not to conclude it. That is exactly why this public consultation is taking place.

A lot more work will follow: studies, plans and analysis. And we are prepared for that. At the end of the public consultation in six weeks’ time, a preliminary market consultation (PMC) will follow.

This staged approach – consultation first, market engagement next, decisions later – is deliberate. It is how we ensure this does not remain a plan on paper. We have split it into phases because that is what a major capital project deserves. One phase at a time; one catalyst milestone after another.

Sustainability and social value are central to this process. We want realistic standards for energy efficiency and water management, responsible material choices, and measurable outcomes that matter: local jobs and skills, accessible promenades and public spaces, and development that integrates with surrounding communities rather than displacing them.

The plan itself is phased, because anyone claiming this can be delivered overnight is not serious. The first phase focuses on the Marsa waterfront and the former power station site, transforming it into a mixed-use quarter that reflects Malta’s fortified architectural language while supporting modern workplaces, cultural venues and hospitality.

Subsequent phases extend regeneration along the inner harbour, introducing adaptive reuse of industrial heritage, and major improvements to public realm and connectivity at Floriana Bastion. Details will evolve – that is the point of consultation – but the direction is consistent.

People deserve more from the Grand Harbour than it offers today.

We removed the Marsa power station because we refused to accept pollution as the price of progress. This is the next step: regeneration that does not leave communities behind.

We are ambitious because Malta is in a position to be ambitious. Our economy is strong enough to plan beyond the next headline and look 25 years ahead.

The invitation now is simple: engage. People will have different interests and that is normal. But the shared goal should be a better Grand Harbour that becomes a real window of opportunity for Maltese and Gozitans.

Miriam Dalli is Minister for the Environment and Energy.