Bid to renew permit for Malta’s tallest building

The developers of the Metropolis Plaza in Gżira, which will feature the tallest building on the island, will today request a renewal of the permit. The full development permit of the project – a €60 million mixed-use lifestyle development in the heart of Gżira – was approved by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority in March 2009. Metropolis Plaza will include three high-rise buildings consisting of 13, 27 and 33 floors. The project includes luxury residential, commercial, health, fitness and leisure facilities and 500 underlying parking spaces. The developers aim to create a catalyst project for urban regeneration that would encourage further high-quality redevelopment in the area. In 2010, Metropolis Developments Ltd had said construction work was meant to begin no later than the third quarter of that year. Back then, managing director Christopher Pace said 35 residential units and 60 car spaces had already been sold. The demolition and excavation of the site had already been completed in 2008 after Mepa granted an outline development permit in June 2007 but construction work never started. In August 2010, Global Capital sold its 41 per cent stake in Metropolis Plaza for...