Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1041944
14 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 OCTOBER 2018 ANALYSIS JAMES DEBONO THE high-rise revolution may have hit a snag following the revocation of a 38-storey building in Sliema that was deemed excessive in its proportions by an appeals tribunal. But the controver- sial approval of a 38-storey tower in Pembroke may have restored the con- fidence of other prospective high-rise applicants. Despite the inevitable changes to the Maltese landscape, high-rise de- velopments continue to be permitted in the absence of a skyline policy for the whole Maltese islands and in the absence of masterplans for hubs like Paceville and Mriehel. The policy regulating high build- ings, which earmarks Gzira, Marsa, Paceville, Tigne, Qawra and Mriehel for over 10-storey buildings was only approved in 2014. And a number of high rises including Portomaso, the A3 Towers in Paola, two towers at Ti- gné Point, the Fortina Hotel in Tigné, the Metropolis project in Gzira, Pen- der, the Mistra development and Fort Cambridge, were approved in the ab- sence of any policy. A decision still has to be taken with regards to 11 high-rise applications ranging in size from the 40-storey hotel proposed by Gap Holdings in Tigné, to a 12-storey building on the Gasanmamo offices in Gzira. With the exception of the 40-storey hotel at Fort Cambridge which is lo- cated on public land leased by govern- ment, and an office block proposed at Mriehel by the government itself, all high-rise applications are being pro- posed on private land and not as hap- pened in Pembroke, on public land leased to a commercial group. Since 2013 the PA has already ap- proved seven high-rise developments, five of which were approved according to a new policy regulating tall build- ings approved in 2014. So far only one high-rise project, a 12-storey development proposed next to a historical windmill in Qormi, was heading for a rejection but this was withdrawn by the developer. Kar- kanja Ltd has also recently withdrawn an application to develop a 29-storey tower on the site of the Golden Har- vest factory in Gzira. An application to construct an 18-storey tower on the Wembley ice-cream site has been considerably downscaled to six floors. And an application for a 17-storey hotel in Bugibba has also been down- scaled to 11 floors. The Townsquare developers in Slie- ma have rescaled their project to 26 storeys from the original 38. But Gap Holdings, which already owns the 20-storey high Fort Cambridge ap- proved in 2009, is still pressing ahead with a 40-storey tower on the site of the adjacent historical officers' mess. Among all pending high-rise applica- tions, this application is at the most advanced stage. An Environment Im- pact Assessment report has already been presented and the ERA has not objected to the project in its assess- ment. The development is being opposed by the Sliema local council, which is insisting on the scheduling of the barracks. Unlike the case involving the DB towers, the land at Fort Cam- bridge had been issued for a tender on the basis of a development brief ap- proved in 2006. This brief does not envisage any high-rise development on the barracks where the present ho- tel is proposed. Two pending high-rise develop- After Pembroke, which are the next towers awaiting approval? Location Number Proponent of floors AWAITING APPROVAL Fort Cambridge, Tigne 40 GAP Ltd 13 December Street, Marsa 37 Angelo Xuereb Townsquare, Sliema 26 Gasan group Paceville Gateway 25 Paul Xuereb of PX Lettings Testaferrata Street, Ta' Xbiex 22 Michael Stivala Church Wharf, Marsa 18 Church Wharf Properties Triq is-Salib, Mriehel 17 Malta Industrial Parks The Palms, St Julian's 15 Adrian Borg Triq Santu Wistin Paceville 15 Joseph Portelli Triq Hal Qormi, Qormi 13 Federico Rossi Triq l-Imsida, Gzira 13 Paul & Rocco Ltd Jerma Hotel, Marsaskala 13 Porto Notos Ltd Triq Enrico Mizzi, Gzira 12 Gasan & Mamo St George's Road, Paceville 12 Bay Street Holdings APPROVED IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS City Centre, Pembroke 38 DB Group Metropolis, Gzira 33 Jalal Husni Bey* Mercury House, Paceville 32 Joseph Portelli 14 East, Gzira 21 ADMG Estates Quad Towers 14-19 Gasan/Tumas groups Fortina 15-23 Edward Zammit Tabona Mistra Heights, St Paul's Bay 12 Gemxija Crown Limited** * the original permit was issued in 2009 and renewed in 2014 ** an application was recently presented to renew the permit APPROVED BEFORE 2013 Portomoso, St Julian's 23 Tumas Group Pender, St Julian's 22 Pender Gardens Ltd Fort Cambridge, Sliema 20 GAP ltd Fortina Hotel, Sliema 18 Zammit Tabona A3 towers, Marsa 14 JPM (Montebello) Bros Preluna, Sliema 13 Joe Preca MIDI, Tigné 12 MIDI High-rise projects in Malta