Eight-storey, 311-bed elderly home approved in Msida

A new 311-bed elderly home in Msida has been approved by the Planning Commission, allowing the redevelopment of the former Msida Home for the Elderly in Triq Clarence.

The project, proposed by Care Rise Limited and designed by architect Edwin Mintoff, will replace the former four-storey facility, which had a capacity of around 60 residents before it was demolished in 2022.

Care Rise Limited, whose shareholders include CE Holdings Limited and Farrugia Group Ltd, is the company behind the project. The application was presented by Mario Brincat, a director in the company. 

Photomontage of the approved development in Msida shown in grey

The company which operates another home in Gzira was awarded a government tender in August 2025 to design, build and operate the new Msida care home.

The new building will have eight storeys and reach a height of 29m, including a recessed upper floor. It will contain 158 rooms, accommodating 311 residents, including a 32-bed high-dependency unit.

The site is also adjacent to the Msida St Joseph Youth Club and a seven-a-side football pitch, placing the large elderly-care facility alongside existing sports and recreational uses.

The development will include two underground levels, with 83 parking spaces in total, as well as a chapel, heated indoor pool, hairdresser, treatment rooms, lounges, terraces and a landscaped garden. The facility is expected to employ 33 people.

The height is being justified through the Planning Authority’s Height Limitation Adjustment Policy for Retirement Homes. While the local plan allows four floors and a semi-basement in the area, the policy permits retirement homes to add up to two further floors, subject to an overall height limit of 29m.

The policy was introduced in 2017 in response to rising demand for residential care, driven by Malta’s ageing population and a shortage of available beds. At the time, projections indicated that public retirement homes alone would need around 200 additional beds annually.

Photomontage of the approved development from the back

Din l-Art Ħelwa had objected to the proposal, arguing that its imposing volume would have a negative impact on the surrounding townscape. It raised concerns about the building’s height, blank party walls, skyline and roofscape, and questioned whether the site was suitable for the application of the retirement-home policy. Residents of Santa Cruz Residence in Triq l-Irmigg also raised concerns about the possible impact on their homes, including loss of light and ventilation, reduced privacy and changes to their outlook.

The applicant submitted a visual assessment containing photomontages from six viewpoints along Triq Censu Farrugia, Triq Clarence, Xatt l-Imsida and the parvis of the Msida parish church. The case officer noted the proposed treatment of the blank party walls and the use of “neutral finishes, including fair-faced masonry and white render” while adding that the “view from the church parvis indicates that the development would be screened by buildings in the foreground along Xatt l-Imsida”.

The case officer also argued that the surrounding streetscape was already uneven, with buildings ranging from five to seven storeys alongside lower buildings and vacant plots. It said the proposed development would create a more uniform frontage along Triq Clarence, while the treatment of party walls through colours and indentations would help reduce their visual impact. The Design Advisory Committee did not object to the proposal.

The permit includes a condition tying the development to its use as a retirement home through a public deed. Any future change of use, including a partial change, would not be favourably considered unless the additional floors allowed under the retirement-home policy were first removed at the developer’s expense. The condition is intended to ensure that the extra building height granted under the policy remains linked to the provision of elderly-care facilities.