Next week, the government will be issuing a call for proposals for the development of a site at Ta’ Qali that has been earmarked for the construction of the Malta Exhibition and Convention Centre, which is expected to be built by the end of 2010.

Urban Development and Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett, and Rural Affairs and the Environment Minister George Pullicino gave a presentation of the revised action plan for Ta’ Qali yesterday morning.

Mr Pullicino explained that around a year ago, the government decided there was a need for a multi-purpose centre, particularly since the emphyteusis (cens) of the Trade Fair grounds expires at the end of July 2007.

The Mediterranean Confer-ence Centre, despite having the longest hall in Europe, does not have a large-enough capacity for mass activities. The new centre will include state-of-the art facilities for the purposes of fairs, conferences and much more, said Mr Pullicino.

Public consultation on amendments to the action plan showed that there was concern over the visual impact of the development, so this aspect was given particular attention during the preparation of the revised plan.

Mr Pullicino said Ta’ Qali offers the best possible site for such a development because it is an open area, but at the same time is not too far from inhabited areas.

“Ta’ Qali is practically in the centre of the island and it also has very good accessibility, which we hope to be able to improve when the action plan is implemented. In this way, we will also reduce the impact of traffic on Attard,” he said.

The chosen site, which is located behind the national football stadium’s VIP area, is 92,921 square metres – around 135 square metres fewer than the Trade Fair grounds in Naxxar.

Mr Pullicino said the centre should be of a “high architectural standard” and only 32 per cent of the site will be built upon.

According to the action plan, the private developers who will be financing the whole project will also have to build a new ring-road and a multi-storey car park.

In fact, of the 92,921 square metres that are being made available for development, 77,980 square metres will be developed and 14,141 square metres will be used for underground parking, 7,371 square metres of which will be able to be built.

Mr Pullicino said the Ta’ Qali development plan will also include an extension to the national park, which will include a large area specifically for children.

He said this project is also aimed at providing a showcase for Malta and for this reason it must be of a high quality.

Mr Mugliett said the developers will be able to negotiate on a choice of three different emphyteusis terms – 35, 49 or 65 years – depending on their requirements. Upon termination of the emphyteusis, the government reserves the right to enter into a new agreement, or renew the existing one.

As regards the agreement reached with existing stakeholders – that is the Malta Football Association (MFA) – an area that the association currently uses as a parking area will be used for the construction of a new two-storey car park, one-storey of which will be given back to the MFA up to two years after the signing of the contract with the developer has taken place.

A 45-metre area between the site that has been chosen for use as a car park and the national stadium will act as a buffer zone in order to provide good accessibility.

Mr Mugliett also mentioned provisions for the general, local and European elections, during which part of the centre will be used for a specified period of time as a counting hall, but alternative arrangements will have to be made for the next election, as the centre will not be ready in time.

The area that is presently being used by the temporary Malta Fairs and Convention Centre (MFCC) will be an optional site that may be developed as an underground car park. The multi-purpose structure housing the centre was set up this month and the private owners are bound by a two-year permit that can be extended by another year.

Mr Mugliett said the action plan had been discussed by the Cabinet and a call for proposals from developers will be issued next week. The period for submissions is 10 weeks and, together with the submission, prospective developers will need to present a sketch design giving indications of the development.

The proposal should also include a financial proposal for negotiation on the premium that will be paid, the annual emphyteusis, a plan on periodical investment, methods of financing, a feasibility study and the amount that will be spent for work on the ring-road as well as the amount that will be spent on landscaping.

The adjudication period will take another eight weeks, following which the Outline Development Permit will be submitted in June.

If everything goes well, the Full Development Application will be submitted in December and development of the site will be able to start in August 2008. According to the established timeframe, the project will be ready by the end of 2010.