Comments on: The Opposition and the press have to keep an eye on these two bids https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2015/10/the-opposition-and-the-press-have-to-keep-an-eye-on-these-two-bids/ Daphne Caruana Galizia is a journalist working in Malta. Mon, 26 Oct 2015 22:09:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Julian Mompalao de Piro https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2015/10/the-opposition-and-the-press-have-to-keep-an-eye-on-these-two-bids/#comment-3055464 Mon, 26 Oct 2015 22:09:00 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=70987#comment-3055464 Where’s Gaffarena?

]]> By: M. bubinu https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2015/10/the-opposition-and-the-press-have-to-keep-an-eye-on-these-two-bids/#comment-3055446 Mon, 26 Oct 2015 21:21:00 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=70987#comment-3055446 The area indicated is the open space adjacent to the now demolished Belleview.

Whoever bids for this huge piece of land knows what he is doing as the return will be enormous.

]]> By: Mikhail Tal https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2015/10/the-opposition-and-the-press-have-to-keep-an-eye-on-these-two-bids/#comment-3055396 Mon, 26 Oct 2015 13:42:00 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=70987#comment-3055396 https://gpd.gov.mt/media/154672/2010_800_2.pdf

3663 s.m. @ €1365/ s.m. = €5,000,000 is not a bad market value with the present height limitations of three floors plus 3 crs basement.

But it’s a completely different scenario if MEPA area favourably considering a high rise building with the new Floor / Area policy issued in May 2014 on that site. http://www.mepa.org.mt/Documents/FAR_Policy-ApprovedMay2014.pdf

And a very serious scenario if some tenderers know about such MEPA changes and others do not.

That policy is written in such an ambiguous way that would allow a good number of similar large sites to be developed with high rise buildings. (vide especially the all important clauses 5.7(ii) and 7.1 which supposedly explain what qualifies a site for a tall building or not)

It is true that the policy specifically mentions and maps some preferred sites, but with the sole exception of Gozo, it does not prohibit such high rise development from any other urban zone.

So where is the catch ? . Such tenders should clearly indicate any intended Local Plan changes for that particular site in the near future. That way, government would make sure of getting the true market value for that property.

Failure to do so would open the gates for speculators, kings, and wise guys who are continuously on the look out for quick money. You only need to place a couple of people on the right desks here and there, and the game is over for the honest bidders.

]]> By: A.Attard https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2015/10/the-opposition-and-the-press-have-to-keep-an-eye-on-these-two-bids/#comment-3055388 Mon, 26 Oct 2015 13:20:00 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=70987#comment-3055388 Is that the old Belleview site?

]]> By: Taghna Biss https://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2015/10/the-opposition-and-the-press-have-to-keep-an-eye-on-these-two-bids/#comment-3055383 Mon, 26 Oct 2015 13:10:00 +0000 http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/?p=70987#comment-3055383 That area looks like where the former Belle View used to be.

What happened to them? Did they sell the land to the government? Or was it requisitioned?

]]>