The Planning Authority (PA) Board has approved a revised version of the long-running Townsquare development in Sliema, endorsing a series of amendments that it says bring the project into line with a court judgment while improving the quality of the development and its public spaces.

According to the PA, the revised plans include the removal of the previously approved hotel component (Class 3B) and the reinstatement of a pavilion (Class 4B), in line with an earlier valid permit. The changes also introduce a number of internal modifications intended to improve the project's functionality, design and overall quality without increasing its approved footprint or development intensity.

Among the approved amendments are the reconfiguration of several commercial units, including Class 4B and Class 4D outlets, to provide greater operational flexibility. The layouts of the residential apartments within the tower have also been revised, although the total number of units remains unchanged. The PA noted that each apartment will continue to have a minimum floor area of 150 square metres, maintaining the project's focus on high-end residential living.

The authority also approved a significant redesign of the project's external areas, with expanded landscaping and larger, better-connected public open spaces intended to create a more cohesive and accessible environment for residents and visitors.

The PA stressed that the amendments do not increase either the overall scale of the development or the number of residential units. Instead, it said the revisions respond directly to the court's judgment while delivering improved architecture, enhanced public spaces and stronger integration between the various elements of the project.

The Townsquare project, being developed by Townsquare Sliema Ltd, a joint venture involving the Ganado, Gasan, Soler and Trapani-Galea families, has been one of Malta's most closely watched developments for over a decade. The mixed-use scheme occupies a 12,000-square-metre site in Sliema and is centred around a 27-storey residential tower, alongside retail, dining, commercial space, the restoration of Villa Drago, underground parking and landscaped public areas.

The development has undergone several revisions since it was first proposed. An initial 38-storey version was approved by the Planning Authority in 2016 but was later revoked by the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal in 2018 after finding shortcomings in the planning process. In 2019, the Planning Authority approved a revised scheme featuring a tower reduced by 37 metres to 27 storeys.

The project also attracted attention in 2021 when Townsquare Sliema Ltd confirmed it had signed a memorandum of understanding with a potential buyer for the residential tower. At the time, WhosWho.mt reported that the prospective purchaser was understood to be the Stivala Group, although the parties did not disclose further details due to a non-disclosure agreement.