The company is also welcoming expressions of interest from operators in the leisure and entertainment business as well as from businesses looking for prestigious office space who wish to lease a property at the magnificently restored Pinto Wharf.
VISET plc is aiming to provide top quality leisure and entertainment facilities for cruise and ferry passengers and to the Maltese public at the Valletta Waterfront.
In a few weeks, the Valletta Waterfront will begin holding detailed briefings for prospective tenants, who will be invited to view the facilities available and then submit their business plans.
“We are determined that by November 2004 all tenancy agreements will be concluded, giving operators the time they need to have their facilities ready to start operating as from June. At the same time we will also start negotiations with those companies who are interested in investing in the space which will become available after 2005,” Valletta Waterfront’s chief
executive officer Chris Falzon said. The expressions of interest will be received until 17 June.
The facilities at Pinto Wharf are certain to be a very attractive investment proposition for operators in the leisure and entertainment business.
Valletta Waterfront business management official Dirk Spiteri Lucas said the project will provide a unique 24-hour destination in a historical setting, with great views and a guaranteed market of over 500,000 cruise liner passengers every year. These facilities will also be fully accessible to the Maltese public.
“The backdrop of Fort St Angelo and the historic setting of Pinto Wharf provide a magnificent setting for a wide range of different activities, from dining al fresco to arts and music festivals, as well as other special events. As from June 2005, Valletta Waterfront will be one of the main commercial centres in Malta and anyone who is interested in making the most of this investment opportunity, now has the opportunity to learn more,” Mr Spiteri Lucas said.
He gave a detailed presentation of the facilities being planned. “The venues along Valletta Waterfront will also serve as a great al fresco venue just at the water’s edge in the newly excavated laguna. The first edition of the Valletta International Wine Fair, taking place at Valletta Waterfront this weekend, will also showcase the potential of Valletta Waterfront as a centre for entertainment and culture,” he said.
Mr Spiteri Lucas said the completion of the cruise liner terminal facilities and the rehabilitation of Pinto Wharf will bring to an end the first phase of the project. Between 2005 and 2007, work will continue on other aspects of the development. These include, among others the redevelopment of the old power station and the nightlife area, which will be located just behind the Waterfront and set in rooms dug into the rocks, providing an ideal spot for late night entertainment, he said.
Other sectors of the Valletta Waterfront project include the Atrium, which will be located at the centre of the project. The Atrium will include a major attraction as well as a crafts centre, bar, various family entertainment areas, gaming centre and other entertainment facilities. The reconstruction of The Atrium facade, destroyed during the Second World War, was completed last year.
The Forni Shopping Area will be located within the Forni Stores, built by Grand Master De Vilhena in the 1720s. The façade of the stores has been restored and the shopping area at the Valletta Waterfront will be completed by 2006. Along the Waterfront, various pubs, cafés and restaurants will all be located in the 252-year-old vaults built by Grand Master Pinto. These vaults which used to house various supplies for the Knights’ galleons will now offer a unique setting for the various food and beverage outlets.