Paceville Burger King building crack poses ‘no concern’, company says

A large crack on the façade of a Paceville premises housing the Burger King restaurant is of no concern to the building’s structural stability, an investigation has concluded.

Trident Estates plc, the owner of the Burger King outlet, said the investigation was carried out by an independent architect engaged by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).

MaltaToday had reported last month that the BCA filed a police report over what had been described as the “deteriorating” state of the building. Trident Estates only owns the floor that houses the fast-food joint. The floor beneath the restaurant and all overlying floors are owned by 14 other different parties.

In a statement, Trident Estates said the BCA’s architect conducted a “thorough inspection of the premises”, including a crack that appeared along the full length of the façade.

“This crack has been identified as a construction joint, observed several years ago and repeatedly investigated. It has been confirmed as cosmetic in nature and poses no concern regarding the building’s structural stability,” the company said.

It added that the condition of the premises has been and remains under “regular review by the company”.

Trident Estates said that in December 2023, reinforcement works were carried out to support the slab beneath the Burger King premises during which time the outlet was closed for business. “These works were undertaken to ensure the slab’s structural integrity and the structure has been certified safe for continued use by a qualified structural engineer. It is important to note that this issue is entirely unrelated to the crack observed on the façade of the premises,” the company said.

It added that following the BCA’s findings “a list of agreed remedial works” has been put in place. “Trident Estates plc remains actively engaged with all stakeholders and is fully committed to ensuring that the appropriate measures are implemented with the highest level of diligence,” the statement concluded.

The building, located at the corner of Triq il-Wilga and Triq id-Dragunara, includes an outlet that is currently closed, underlying the restaurant and overlying apartments.

A major crack running from the top to the bottom of the façade was the most obvious outwardly sign of concern but an architect’s report seen by MaltaToday back in June, noted that “most columns” in the premises beneath Burger King need “extensive repairs”.

Concerns over this building were raised following the collapse of a block of flats next to a building site several blocks away from the Burger King building.

In a report sent on 10 September 2024 to Trident Estates plc an architect had noted an “increase in the degree of deterioration” in the underlying outlet when compared to an inspection in 2023.

The report said the deterioration could be due to “continuing water penetration from the shafts, or from the general abandon of the place”.

The architect said that although previous interventions on the reinforced slabs and beams “is still viable”, “most columns” now require “extensive repairs”. He added that further propping would be needed to allow work on the columns individually.