Malta Strategic Partnership Projects Ltd (MSPP) has announced on Wednesday that the only bid submitted for the Chalet site in Sliema was not recommended for award. The only bid was reported to be submitted by Carmelo Stivala Group.
The bid was turned down, while in the same announcement the MSPP recommended the bid for the regeneration of Evans Building, located in Valletta.
MSPP is a fully Government owned company that falls within the portfolio of the Ministry for Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects. Its role is to study, coordinate and facilitate strategic Public-Private Partnerships as well as serving as a central touchpoint for such strategic partnerships.
“The Government will nonetheless continue with its pledge to continue investing in the regeneration of this important Sliema site so that such investment can contribute towards an improved quality of life for the Sliema community,” said MSPP.
The Chalet site, which was once highly popular, is currently just a stretch of concrete and has been abandoned for almost six decades, with almost no accessibility to the public.
MSPP had originally launched a call for proposals from the private sector to rehabilitate the site in Tower Road at the end of October 2022. The public call came to a close a year ago today.
It had explained that the project was studied within the terms of the '2002 Chalet Development Brief' which invited bidders to submit proposals for the regeneration and design management, operation, maintenance and transfer back of the ex-chalet site.
At the time MSPP said that the reinstatement of the site as a superior quality catering and entertainment establishment involves an injection of a minimum of €3.2 million through the initial capital investment, followed by subsequent partial re-investment of €1.4 million every seven years, and complete re-investment of €3.2 million between the 28th and 30th year of the given concession by the bidders.
The concession period was set at 65 years and requested also the annual ground-rent and an annual concession from project proponents.
It was previously reported by The Shift that Stivala Group bid an €8.4 million offer and did not include the ground rent payment.
Also known as Ghar id-Dud, the Chalet was inaugurated on 12th May 1926 and built in the contemporary neo-liberty/art nouveau style.
Days after its inauguration, the Malta Chronicle reported that the Chalet was “beautifully constructed in reinforced concrete on a jutting rock with two spacious storeys, having accommodation for refreshments, dancing and bating for hundreds of people at one time.”
By time, after World War II, the Chalet was repaired, sold and reopened under new management, in July 1944. Despite so, in 1959 it was declared structurally unsafe and in 1963 it was permanently closed. Strong winds and rough seas were factors that led to a weakened structure.
Prior attempts have been made to bring the Chalet back to life, but the proposals were in vain. In 2006, it was completely demolished and has since remained as a concrete base.
