6 | TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019 TIMES OF NATIONAL Public ‘will be better served’ with Manoel Island project Last March, the Planning Authority approved the Manoel Island masterplan as part of a 99-year concession which Midi plc had been awarded by the government in 2000. Keith Micallef spoke with Midi CEO MARK PORTELLI on the major project. At what phase is the Manoel Island project? We have submitted eight development applications to the planning authority, some of which are related to our deed obligations, like relocating the Gżira United football pitch and the reclamation of part of the sea to extend the yacht yard facilities. The latter is being done to compensate for the loss of land, due to the fact that part of the yard will be taken up to shift the existing road. Further applications will cater for dredging to improve sea- water circulation around the island, the construction of a breakwater and the first phase Is Midi planning to gene- of the residential units. rate more money through More applications are in the bond issues? pipeline for the rest of the resi - We have already done that, dential complex, the yacht and at the moment we have no marina and the remaining deve- plans to issue more bonds. lopments. Our objective is to start works on the residential blocks in Last year, Times of Malta had the first half of next year. revealed that talks were under - way with Tumas Group over the When is the project planned possibility of the latter acquir - to be completed in its entirety? The Manoel Island masterplan. Inset: Midi CEO Mark Portelli. ing the majority of shares. At It is a five-to-seven-year project what stage are these talks? which will be completed in phases Any matter with respect to the in such a way that the parts that it would result in over- respecting the historical context access to public areas like the sale of a significant part of which are completed may operate development in one of the few of the site. When the project is foreshore, and abiding by condi - Manoel Island, be it equity or independently from the rest. remaining public open spaces completed the public will be tions regulating use of the fort property, is the subject of a in this densely populated area. served better than today. and building height. company announcement. The historic Fort Tigné in What is Midi’s position on this? Will they be better served if Under this model, we cannot Such step has already been taken , which is also part of We are only developing about somebody sinks the money into it apply to increase more storeys in whereby we said we were in talks this concession, is not yet pub - a third of the island’s footprint as a public park and maintains it a few years’ time. with Tumas Group. Negotiations licly accessible, and the envi - which is of 300,000 square for such purpose? That is not a are ongoing. However, I am forbid - ronment surrounding it leaves metres. You cannot call a foot - comparison I can make, it is Criticism has also been den from disclosing any details at much to be desired. What are ball pitch a development. unrealistic. Surely, a developed levelled that the development this stage, even though our ideas the plans for this site? I believe it is a fair ratio. island will be better than today. will negatively impact the are very clear on the matter. Though from the outside one We respect the fact that most island’s skyline and obstruct gets that impression due to the of the island consists of the Fort What kind of public spaces views between Sliema and While on paper this plan overgrown vegetation, in actual Manoel’s glacis which will be will this project include? Ta’ Xbiex seafront. might look attractive, sceptics fact the fort has been restored, accessible to the public. The area Most of the island will be The development is over five will immediately point out that in line with the obligation of the earmarked for development has pedestrianised. There will a floors and one has to take into this project has been coming deed through which Midi was been abandoned since Medserv square the size of Pjazza Reġina consideration the land’s topog - for 20 years, but for some also bound to bring left Manoel Island. in at the entrance. raphy whereby some of it is at reason it never materialised. back to its glory. Access to the foreshore will a higher level. What makes you believe this The challenge on Fort Tigné, remain while Fort Manoel must Nonetheless, none of the will be the right time? which was in a bad state as it be used for public purposes. buildings will exceed the I would not say the project had was previously used to house a “Surely a In total, public open spaces island’s highest existing build - stalled. Tigné Point took time to reverse osmosis plant, is to decide will account for 65,000 square ing which is within Fort Manoel. be developed and it was only on its future function. We are not developed island metres, over and above 80,000 From the visual impact assess - when this part was nearing com - very keen on the idea of having square metres of the park. ment it did transpire that there pletion that we started focusing food and beverage outlets there, will be better We are also redesigning the are some negative impacts from on Manoel Island. In the last but are more inclined to explore traffic junction at the Manoel a particular angle. However, this four years we completed the Fort possible cultural uses. than today” Island entrance to improve will be at a very close range, Manoel restoration, and it was traffic flow. There will be a sepa - where it is impossible to avoid only recently that we submitted When is the fort meant to be rate pedestrian bridge, as part of any kind of visual impact. development applications for open to the public? a plan to have a continuous prom - the rest of the island. While the fort has been Wouldn’t it have been better enade from Sliema to Gżira. What is the project’s ulti - We opted to start from the fort restored, the glacis has not. to make the entire island a mate cost? due to the urgency stemming from Within the next three years, public park, in line with a peti - How is the guardianship It runs into tens of millions. its dilapidated state. Had we post - Midi is obliged to complete the tion endorsed by more than deed signed with the Gżira The first phase, which poned it further, it could have been promenade which will link Qui- 8,000 people? council meant to safeguard includes the residential and the damaged irreparably. This was the si-Sana all the way around Tigné I respect such opinion. Our Midi’s obligations? deed obligations, exceeds €100 largest ever restoration project peninsula on the other side. position is that the island can be We created a foundation to million. This is over and above ever undertaken by the private developed to a certain extent serve as a watchdog. Its purpose the fort’s restoration where sector together with Tigné Fort One of the main criticisms on within the parameters of the is to ensure we honour our deed we have spent between €8 and and the Garden Battery, which the Manoel Island project is local plan and more importantly obligations such as guaranteeing €10 million. translates to about €50 million.