The MCP car park in Floriana is set for a major revamp which will transform this prime site close to the capital from an eyesore to a public garden at street level on top of it. The €5 million project will result in an additional 400 parking spaces, raising the total capacity to 1,550. The core of the project will be the large void in the middle which will be developed to complement the current parking facilities.

The Minister for Fair Competition, Small Business and Consumers, Jason Azzopardi, along with the MCP Managing Director, Salvu Ellul, made the announcement yesterday morning in a press conference. Works to complete the project are expected to take 18 months. However, the project needs parliament’s green light as it involves amendments to the deed of emphyteusis signed way back in 1991. A motion to alter the terms of the emphyteutical concession was tabled in parliament yesterday morning.

Asked by The Malta Independent whether this might pose a snag with rumours of an imminent general election being rife, he said that this motion will not be debated in the plenary but in the National Audit Office Accounts Committee. He added that this committee can still hold its meetings during the summer recess, hinting that the whole issue might be thrashed out by 1 October when parliament is scheduled to reconvene. Nevertheless, it will still need formal approval in the plenary session.

Originally, this site was granted by way of emphyteusis for 50 years with a yearly ground rent of €23,000. The concession will now be extended by a further 65 years but the ground rent will be increased to €200,000 with the possibility of being revised every 10 years. Other conditions imposed include the banning of any commercial outlets in the car park, which might generate a demand for parking spaces such as supermarkets or restaurants. The only exceptions are car valeting services and sports facilities such as a fitness centre.

GRTU President Paul Abela lauded this project stating that the reduction in parking spaces in Valletta in recent years had a negative impact on business in general. He added that it would be a pity if such a project had to stall due to red tape at the Malta Environmental and Planning Agency (Mepa). Architect Ray Demicoli, who is in charge of the project, said that this has been taken care of, since the developer has been in direct consultation with Mepa to ensure that every aspect of the project is compliant to its demands.

Asked whether the tariffs will be increased to compensate for this investment, MCP’s managing director dismissed such claims saying that the company’s priority is to have its car park as full as possible. He added that the project will enable the company to re-introduce special tariffs such as those for users parking before 8.30am which had to be scrapped due to the limited space available.

The expanded car park will also result in an extra 100 parking spaces in the capital, currently being used by government entities which will be using the MCP’s facilities. However, no decision has been taken yet whether these parking spaces will be allotted to Valletta residents or to the public.

Back in 1991 the decision to convert the area which was partly a car park and a garden to a multi-storey underground car park had sparked controversy. The main objection was that a public space was being transformed to a concrete structure turning the whole area adjacent to the capital to an eyesore.

The project includes improved access for cars as well as for pedestrians who will be able to exit safely from the parking by means of a bridge. A landscaping architect will be commissioned to draft detailed plans for the garden with the developer bound to take care of its maintenance. Another condition is that the garden must be up to the required standards established by the government.