Fortina development gets the green light

The Fortina development in Sliema was approved by the Planning Authority in a  vote on Thursday. The approval, which saw just one board member voting against, will see the former hotel transformed into a 15-storey office block. The owners are set to rake in millions from the development, to be built on land acquired from the government years ago for just €1.4 million, the Times of Malta is informed. The former 4,878 square metres of public land was sold by the government on condition that it would only be used for an extension to the then Fortina Hotel. The government, through the Lands Authority, is still negotiating with the owners on which terms the restriction could be lifted. According to Lands Authority CEO James Piscopo, “discussions are still ongoing and any agreement would be referred to Parliament to approve”. Last April, when the Planning Authority gave the green light for the site to be used for luxury apartments, the Lands Authority had said that an agreement with the owners on the release of the restrictions in the original contracts for the transfer of public land was at an advanced stage. But it seemed that negotiations, now conducted under the guidance of Mr...