Watch: Robert Abela Describes Manoel Island Project As ‘Top-Notch Investment’
Prime Minister Robert Abela said plans to build a luxury village on Manoel Island could amount to “top-notch investment”.
Taking questions from journalists, Abela said that while he will forever have reservations on the way the land was granted to MIDI in a concession in the 1990s, he believes the project itself can be a success.
“If the project is carried out well, and our political direction is to ensure that it is, I believe we can have top-level investment which incorporates the preservation and restoration of our cultural heritage. I believe it can also attract quality tourist investment. The government’s direction shouldn’t be to destroy development but to promote sustainable development.”
The development will consist of three residential clusters making up a total of 323 residential units, down from 499 units as approved in the original masterplan.
It will also include shops, restaurants, and a clubhouse hosting a gym, swimming pool and padel courts.
While the shore and large chunks of the land will remain accessible to the public, serious concerns have been raised about developing Gżira’s only large green space. PN MP Albert Buttigieg has called for the entire island to be turned into a public park.
Video: ONE News
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