Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/731331
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 2016 15 Special Report JAMES DEBONO A new master plan for Paceville, a tiny neighbourhood in St Julian's which erratically grew into Malta's clubland, is now set to accommo- dated 35-storey high-rise towers on the former Mercury House site, and 30-storey towers down at St George's Bay where the Institute of Tourism Studies stood, and at Villa Rosa. A further 26 storeys are envi- sioned in an area by the Westin Dragonara hotel, with a brand new tower not being excluded for the Portomaso marina site, and further low-rise development on land re- claimed by the sea, which is itself a protected marine area. On the other side, the Corinthia hotels will see development limited to a maximum 22 storeys. Altogether, this "prime coastal area" will consume 40 megawatts of energy – four times that con- sumed by Malta's national hospital Mater Dei, and almost 10% of the country's average consumption. A new Enemalta distribution centre will be required. By Maltese standards, the Plan- ning Authority's master plan is a rare attempt at providing a com- prehensive development plan that can provide public walkways along the coast, public spaces and plazas. But underlying this vision is the necessity to accommodate Malta's growing appetite for luxury and high-rise construction, with tow- ers set to rise to 35 storeys and be- ing marketed for the great white hope of the world's global elites: so called, high net worth individuals (HNWIs). The expected increase in car transport generated by these pro- jects is being summarily resolved through the proposal of a tunnel beneath the Mikiel Anton Vassalli regional road. But inside Paceville, commuters and residents will be expected to walk and cycle: this tight spot of clubs, bars, restau- rants, hotels and guesthouses, is set to see its resident population by 7,500 and additional workers in the area will total 9,000. These would include 3,964 new residents and 2,227 hotel guests living in the nine sites earmarked for new development. Altogether, these nine develop- ments will provide a total of 1.17 million square metres of total ground space, meaning the total area occupied by each developed storey: a 290% increase in Pace- ville's developable area, to bring the total available developable area in Paceville to 1.68 million square metres. Lucrative plans The nine sites earmarked for de- velopment are the Corinthia site (215,000 sqm), the ITS site (142,000 sqm), Villa Rosa (111,000 sqm), St George's Park (233,000 sqm), the Westin Dragonara (124,000 sqm), Portomaso (234,000 sqm), Mer- cury House (87,000 sqm) and the Business Centre, located near the Intercontinental (29,719 sqm). These plans have already been discussed between private inves- tors and the government, signal- ling the inevitable development that will take place inside Paceville. So the PA's role here is to avoid piecemeal construction and plan- ning. The main business cluster is shown in the centre of Paceville around the St George's Park and Mercury House sites, and a small office cluster is also identified on the ITS site. Tall buildings will be restricted to the south side due to overshadowing issues caused by lo- cating tall buildings to the west and immediate north of St George's bay. In these locations the buildings "will work within the skyline strat- egy, help provide the quantum of floor space envisaged for these sites and also prevent overshadowing of the beach in St George's Bay". The coastal areas are largely iden- tified for hotels, all of which follow a similar approach in stepping down towards the coastline, max- imising views of the sea. Managing the high-rise revolution The tallest buildings will be locat- ed in central Paceville, with towers of up to 35 storeys on the Mercury House and St George's Park sites being considered suitable: "Not only do tall buildings in these loca- tions work within the tall buildings strategy, but also they act as mark- ers to Paceville's central business area and are closely located to pub- lic transport." Furthermore, a tall building in the south-eastern corner of St George's Park will help provide a landmark for a regenerated Pace- ville Plaza. Under this approach, the tallest buildings shown are those on the Mercury House site. The existing Portomaso Tower sits within this framework and is no longer a standalone building, but one of a number of buildings form- ing a cluster that works with the landform. The lower rise buildings are lo- cated along the coastline, ensuring that no building here disrupts the important views of the sea. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt The golden mile: bold planning for the elites A new Paceville is in the offing: the Planning Authority's master plan shows that money motivates the vision for a liveable urban space, as Malta's investors lay claim to the St Julian's clubland Corinthia, 22 storeys Buildings will step down to St George's Bay but taller buildings are allowed to create gateway landmark to the north of the site ITS, 30 storeys Buildings set out perpendicularly to the bay, with largest amount of frontage having views to the sea. Plans envision retail, a tall office building and a shopping centre Villa Rosa, 30 storeys Tallest building is in the easternmost part of the site to minimise the overshadowing of the beach and two retain Villa Rosa as the prominent landmark overlooking the beach. The two western sites within Villa Rosa are capped at 10 storeys Saint George's Park, 34 storeys Three tall buildings envisaged, with four southern blocks dedicated to offices while three blocks to the north are residential. At ground floor bars and restaurants will be developed Westin Dragonara, 26 storeys Buildings will step back towards the Dragonara beach with a taller building of 26 storeys to the north of the site, to minimise overshadowing of coastline Portomaso, 15 storeys Low-rise approach but 'another high-rise tower could be acceptable': the two options are low-rise along the coast or a "high-rise building provided its architectural treatment is of the highest quality." Since the sea around Portomaso is deemed "relatively shallow" the area has potential for land reclamation even if it is "adjacent to a Marine Area of Conservation" Mercury House, 35 storeys Prime office location while other towers will cater for residences The Business Centre, 11 storeys Situated along Triq Mikiel Anton Vassalli, regional road: these two sites will have a low-rise cluster rising to 11 storeys, serving as the gateway to Paceville and access to the regional road tunnel Above: The sloping skyline that the Planning Authority hopes to achieve by setting individual limits to the high-rise projects, and below, the Corinthia and Radisson grounds, once sold by the State for a pittance to kick-start the five-star holiday segment, will now see its land appreicate in value thanks to the high-rise potential