Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1492490
NEWS 16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 12 FEBRUARY 2023 Smart City blocks tower over Xghajra in new photomontages True. Athletic. Grit. ELITE, on MaltaToday Facebook, Mondays 5pm JAMES DEBONO PHOTOMONTAGES for two 11-storey blocks proposed at Smart City show the new de- velopment towering over the small seaside village of Xgħajra as seen from the promenade and coastline. The visual study compares the new plans to those ap- proved in an outline permit for the entire Smart City pro- ject in 2009, which envisaged a continuous chain of build- ings, covering an existing seven-storey building owned by Smart City, and stepping down towards the coastline. The 2009 permit was issued without any visuals of the im- pact on Xgħajra and the envi- rons. The proposed project will now consist of two separate building masses, with the ex- isting seven-storey building in between. Photomontages also depict the outline of a yet-to-be-ap- proved 13-storey block from Elegant Homes, which faces objections from 300 residents. The photomontage suggests this project will cover one of the proposed Smart City blocks. The PA's design advisory committee said the develop- ment should be stepped down- wards towards the coast, and asked for more visuals show- ing closer range views from Xgħajra and the Shoreline development. The mixed-use blocks for a hotel and between 95 and 128 residential units are being proposed on a site presently used as a temporary car park for the Smart City project, directly overlooking the low-rise and picturesque seaside locality of Xgħajra. The gross floor area of 37,000sq.m is split between 22,000sq.m for the hotel and 17,000sq.m for the apart- ments. The two plots were already identified for devel- opment in the original Smart City permit of 2009. But resi- dential development was pre- viously excluded in the orig- inal zoning for commercial development and a hotel. A comparison of plans in- dicates a small increase in height over 2009 limits, from 48-58m, to 60m above sea lev- el. Photomontages also depict the outline of a yet-to-be-approved 13-storey block from Elegant Homes, which faces objections from 300 residents. The photomontage suggests this project will cover one of the proposed Smart City blocks