Several ashler blocks, known in Maltese as vażi, were discovered during excavation works at the Independence Arena in Floriana, and the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage has indicated these were part of the old City Gate, demolished in 1964.

This was pointed out by the CEO of the Grand Harbour Regeneration Project, Chris Paris, and Architect Damian Vella when members of the media visited the site.

The arena is currently being turned into a car park and excavation works are under way to lower the arena to the football ground level so that the new car park will extend the existent one opposite the Phoenicia Hotel. So far, this takes around 130 vehicles but once works are completed, by mid-December, 290 spaces will be available.

There will be an entrance/exit ramp next to the Boċċi club on Triq il-Mall while the existent entrance/exit on Triq l-Assedju, will be retained.

The discovery of the huge stones was made as the concrete steps of the stalls built in the 60s, started being demolished.

As part of the obligations under the planning permit, an Archaeological Monitor, reporting to the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage, was engaged by Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation to oversee the project. The large blocks were discovered mixed in with the backfill beneath the concrete steps.

The issue was reported to the Archaeological Monitor and it was eventually determined that the rocks were part of the remains from the demolition of Valletta’s Porta Reale.

After consultations with the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, the GHRC was instructed to store the blocks at a secure location for further investigation and cataloguing. The Resources and Rural Affairs Ministry made space available at the government quarry in Tar-Robba, Kirkop. The contractor in charge of the Floriana works was instructed to make the necessary arrangements for safe transport of the blocks.

Also during the excavation that followed the demolition of the concrete steps, the original retaining structure of Triq il-Mall, dating back to the period when the area was used as a large parade ground, was discovered. Rather than a retaining wall as previously thought, the structure took the form of a ‘rammed-earth’ type sloping embankment, topped with a thin layer of concrete. The profile of the structure was in two, differently inclined sloping sections. Although the structure was deemed to have little historic value, at the instructions of the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage, the GHRC also made arrangements to document, survey and record the structure prior to its demolition.

Once the car park is complete, it may be roofed over and the street level area may be turned into a public open space with possible additional uses for the sports facilities in the adjacent areas.

The grandstand, occupied an area of 5,120m2, but had no practical purpose and since its original construction in the late 1960s its use as a grandstand for the adjacent sports grounds never came to full fruition. The project is intended to replace some of the parking spaces lost in the Great Ditch due to the development of the City Gate project.

Part of Triq il-Mall needs to be widened in order to accommodate a waiting lane for vehicles coming from the Valletta direction and which need to cross the opposing traffic lane. In addition to this, a retaining wall will be constructed along the entire length of the car park along Triq il-Mall, to support the road.