VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Prime Minister Robert Abela has announced a six-week public consultation on the Grand Harbour Revival Plan, outlining a long-term vision to regenerate the area while protecting its natural and historic character.
Abela described the initiative as the first step in a structured process that will begin with public dialogue, move to consultation with the market and investors, and lead to phased implementation.
He said the Grand Harbour is “the most beautiful harbour in the Mediterranean” and stressed that the plan foresees minimal infrastructural intervention to ensure feasibility, sustainability and full respect for the site’s unique features.
Ryan Fava, chairman of the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation (GHRC), said the project is designed to complement Malta’s historic fabric. International consultants with extensive experience were engaged, and from the outset it was decided that no high-rise buildings would be included, with development limited to medium-scale projects that blend with the existing environment.
GHRC chief executive Gino Cauchi noted that while works are already underway in the Marsa area, the broader plan aims to breathe new life into the harbour zone, transforming it into a public space with cultural, social and economic potential.
International firm Chapman Taylor also presented its vision, describing the Grand Harbour as “world class” and one of Europe’s most striking harbours. Its proposals focus on extending the urban fabric naturally, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and the restoration of heritage assets.
Environment Minister Miriam Dalli said the harbour must continue to serve as a commercial centre while also becoming a space for people, quality tourism and creativity. She urged the public to take part in the six-week consultation to help shape the future of what she called a national treasure.
Photo: Infrastructure Malta
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