It was on 7 April, 1942, that the Old Opera House in Valletta was destroyed by German bombers. The theatre, a landmark in the capital city since it was constructed in 1866, was razed to the ground, and its ruins are still a memory of a devastating war.

Over the years – and now 66 have passed since that fateful day – there have been several attempts to rebuild the site. But the plans were always put aside or shot down following public controversy, as the country never seemed able to make up its mind whether the theatre should be rebuilt or whether the area should become a commercial centre.

When Italian architect Renzo Piano came up with his plans some 20 years ago, his suggestions led to so much disagreement that the government of the day ultimately gave up, and the matter was shelved again.

More recently, the idea of transferring the House of Representatives to a new building located on the site of the Old Opera House was floated. And it is on these lines that the government, last Monday, announced that new plans have been commissioned – again from Renzo Piano – to build the new Parliament instead of the ruins.

This forms part of a whole project that also includes the rebuilding of City Gate, which was another hot topic over the years.

One will have to wait and see what the plans are before making a judgment, but the concept to regenerate an area which is, after all, the entrance to our most important city, is welcome. For too many years the City Gate area – from where thousands of Maltese and tourists enter the capital city – has been left lying in a derelict state.

In his press conference, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi dealt at length on the plans that are envisaged. For one thing, Parliament will now be housed in a new, modern building that will increase the facilities for our Parliamentarians. MPs have regularly complained that the area they are allotted at the Palace is too small for today’s needs. Soon they will have their new premises.

Secondly, the moving out of Parliament from the Palace will restore the Armoury to its original place while a museum displaying items connected with Malta’s heritage will make the Palace more attractive to visitors. Naturally, it will continue to house the Office of the President.

The reasons given for not reconstructing the Old Opera House are also plausible. Valletta already boasts of three theatres and the site of the opera house is too small to have a theatre able to meet today’s exigencies. There will also be a risk that the Manoel Theatre, another jewel, will be “killed” if another theatre is built.

Another important decision that was taken is the elimination of the idea to have an underground bus terminus outside City Gate. This has become irrelevant considering that the government is planning to reform the public transport sector, creating smaller termini in different parts of the island rather than have one focal point as the Valletta terminus is today.

The initiative taken by the government and, more so, when the Renzo Piano plans are made public, will no doubt lead to the usual controversy that surrounds even the smallest project that is to be embarked upon, let alone one that already has a history of disagreements.

One thing should be kept in mind in all this. Let us remember that the entrance to City Gate – which has been turned into a market place – and the Old Opera House site have been a shame for the country for 66 years. Now that a government is determined to take action, and complete the work in the relatively short time of four years, let us get on with it.