Valletta's City Gate complex to get €5 million makeover
The police station will be relocated from St George's Square
Valletta's City Gate complex will get a €5 million makeover that will include a temporary exhibition space and see the relocation of the police station from St George's Square.
The Culture Ministry and Valletta Cultural Agency announced the "extensive regeneration and rehabilitation project" on Wednesday.
The project, carried out in cooperation with the Lands Authority, the Restoration and Preservation Directorate, and Public Works, should be completed within two years.
“After many years of neglect and lack of maintenance, this area has lost much of its aesthetic and social value and no longer reflects the cultural and architectural standard one would expect at the entrance to our capital city," Minister Owen Bonnici said at the launch.
The project, he added, aimed at transforming the City Gate complex into a livelier, safer, and more accessible environment that complemented the regeneration already carried out in Valletta, while responding to the social and cultural needs of the community.
Among the proposed measures is the rehabilitation of the existing shops and food establishments on the ground floor. Current occupants will retain their leases, while their premises will be renovated and modernised.
A multifunctional space will be set up on the first floor to host cultural, creative, and social activities.
This space will also include a sensory and wellness area offering a calm and immersive environment for residents and visitors seeking a place for rest.
A dedicated area for temporary art exhibitions will also be created on the first floor, while the project will also see the relocation of the Valletta Police Station from St George’s Square to the upper part of Valletta.
Lifts and escalators will be installed in the complex.