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MT 6 September 2015

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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 6 SEPTEMBER 2015 12 News JAMES DEBONO SUPERMARKET chain Lidl has applied to construct a supermarket outlet, outside the development zone along Triq Dun Karm Psaila, better known as the Birkirkara by- pass. Birkirkara, Malta's most populat- ed locality, already has the Smart supermarket and Tower supermar- ket. Located in the bypass, the new supermarket would also attract shoppers from other localities. The application is still at the ini- tial stages and is being screened by the Malta Environment and Plan- ning Authority. The 5,184 square metre site, lo- cated in an area between a tennis club and Sqaq it-Tigieg, would in- clude the supermarket and a 120- vehicle open-air car park. The site at present includes aban- doned agricultural land, patches of trees and structures such as water reservoirs. It is fully owned by Lidl. The applicant has declared that the project would not include any re- moval of trees or rubble walls. Lidl has already opened two ODZ stores, in Luqa and Safi, both ap- proved before the 2008 general elections. Other Lidl stores are in Santa Venera, Zejtun, and Qormi and in Xewkija, a small part of which is al- so outside the development zones. Lidl had also applied to build ODZ stores in Mosta and Zabbar but both applications were reject- ed. The chain has also recently ap- plied to develop a supermarket in- stead of the Fort Blocks industrial complex in Mosta. MATTHEW VELLA ONE of Libya's major names in business, Husni Bey, has denied having been approached to acquire the Manoel Island project from Tigné Point developers Midi plc. Bey is chairman of the HB Group, one of the biggest importers of food, consumer articles and com- modities in Libya. In comments to MaltaToday, the entrepreneur denied having been approached to acquire the Manoel Island project. "We [HB and the Mizzi Group] have common inter- ests, being already partners in retail in Libya, Morocco, Malta and look- ing for further expansion in Alge- ria," he said of his interests in Retail International Ltd. "Due to our close business rela- tionship we have had discussions about possible synergetic coopera- tion for the whole zone, given that we own the Metropolis project close to Manoel Island, but not a sale of the MIDI project," Bey said. Midi plc, the developers of Tigné Point, are still in discussions with third parties that have expressed an interest to invest in Manoel Island. The consortium was granted the island together with Tigné back in 2000 under a 99-year emphyteusis for €100 million in premiums, and infrastructural and restoration ob- ligations. Although considerable restoration work was carried out on the island, no work started on the project with Midi having con- centrated on the final phases of its development on Tigné Point. Across the bridge at Gzira, the deep hole in Testaferrata Street is awaiting the start of construction works for the €120 million Metrop- olis project. The high-rise project had lost steam in the wake of the global fi- nancial crisis and the Libyan civil war, but the Bey family is expected to complete the three-tower project by 2018. Its highest tower will rise to 33 floors. The original project had been divested by financial services firm GlobalCapital for €3.8 million in 2010, after having sold some 30 units of the luxury high-rise. Jalal Husni Bey, the younger brother of Husni Husni Bey, said the HB Group originally was inter- ested in acquiring some apartments but saw an opportunity when the original investors couldn't get the necessary bank support. Jalal set out to redo the whole project, claiming it was a "cheap housing building which would not have delivered", and that investors need luxury investments to set up base in Malta. Metropolis comprises three high- rise buildings of 13, 27 and 33 floors, complemented by four lev- els of underground parking holding over 600 car spaces, a central lobby with concierge facilities, retail out- lets, swimming pool, gymnasium and spa. Lidl applies for ODZ supermarket again Metropolis's Husni Bey denies Manoel Island interest The site along the Birkirkara by-pass where Lidl has applied to build a supermarket

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