The Mepa board on Thursday approved an application for infrastructural works and landscaping around the laguna area in Smart City. The laguna, which will be filled with seawater pumped directly from the nearby sea, will become a focal point of Smart City and, as it was described some months ago, a new entertainment hub for the South of Malta.

Presenting the application, architect Paul Camilleri explained some of the background to the development of Smart City.

The first building to be constructed, SCM 01, remains under-tenanted. This was because companies are loath to move into a site that is still a building site. Hence the owners decided to invest a further €15 million into the project and to complete its hub so that it would be a better environment to offer to investors.

Three new buildings have thus been constructed, SCM 02 and 03, as well as the grand staircase in the middle and restaurants and outlets around the laguna. These are now being finished.

Mr Camilleri pointed out that another application for the promenade unfortunately did not come up to the board along with the laguna one.

The excavation of the site of the laguna has been already carried out and the rubble, some 12,000 cubic metres, has been saved to serve as the base of the promenade.

When finished, the laguna will have a water feature that can be played to music. There will be a stage on it and people can sit on the wide grand staircase to watch shows.

Underneath the seawater of the laguna, there will also be a central reservoir to collect all rainwater.