Bernard Grech Endorses Proposal To Replace Floriana Public Library Parking Spaces With Garden
Opposition leader Bernard Grech has endorsed a proposal to replace parking spaces in front of the Floriana public library with a garden and pedestrian zones.
“This is the kind of development the PN wants to see in Malta and Gozo,” Grech said. “This project should serve as an example of how history and nature can merge together to provide the public with open spaces. It will breathe new life into the library and improve accessibility.”
“I wish the National Book Council all the best in carrying out this important project, which should certainly serve as an example for similar developments in other places.”
“We believe such projects will improve our quality of life and safeguard the health of the people of Malta.”
This week, the National Book Council and architectural firm AP Valletta unveiled a proposal to regenerate the space around the Floriana library, which involves replacing parking spaces with a garden, with the logic being that it will attract more people to the library.
The proposal also calls for the planting of a garden on the library’s roof, a new entrance to the building from the roof area, the extension of the library’s opening hours till late at night, and the organisation of cultural events outside its doors.
While several people praised the proposal, others warned against reducing parking spaces, with parking already a huge problem in the area.
“Sheer madness. Parking is at a premium in Valletta- Floriana area and one cannot come up with a proposal eliminating so many parking spaces without providing for an alternative,” one person commented.
“Those working in Floriana and Valletta are faced everyday with a feat in trying to find a parking space, particularly as so many parking spaces in Valletta and the ring road have been allocated to Ministries and entities.”
Can Floriana afford to lose parking spaces outside the library for the sake of this proposal?
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