Former trade fair site masterplan cuts building heights

A revised masterplan in a zoning application for the former trade fair site in Naxxar proposes lowering building heights to seven storeys from nine.

Nonetheless, the new plan leaves the overall number of separate apartment blocks unchanged at 39 from the 2024 masterplan version.

The zoning application, submitted by Marcus Marshall seven years ago, seeks to establish the planning parameters for the redevelopment of the 53,550sq.m site, which is currently a vacant development zone.

The latest plans limit buildings to a maximum height of seven storeys, or 25 metres. The proposed development includes four seven-storey blocks, five six-storey blocks, 10 five-storey blocks, nine four-storey blocks and 11 three-storey blocks.

The revised height profile replaces the taller elements included in 2024, which proposed residential structures of eight and nine storeys.

The revised zoning application also removes a proposed hotel block that had featured in the 2024 version. The latest plans instead focus on residential units, supported by office space and retail.

The layout includes a central pedestrian path/public open space, with commercial activity planned at ground-floor level in selected blocks and sports-related facilities proposed on some rooftops.

The former trade fair site has been earmarked for redevelopment for several years, with successive master plans proposing different approaches to the development of the extensive area.

A 2019 zoning proposal had envisaged 47 blocks ranging between one and six floors, while the 2024 version moved towards fewer blocks but taller structures.

If approved, the zoning parameters would still need to be followed up by separate planning applications for individual buildings before construction can proceed.