Entrepreneur Joseph Portelli has sought to allay public concerns surrounding the future of Fort Tigné, insisting that the historic site will remain untouched despite plans to develop a luxury hotel on the surrounding land.
Following the announcement that MIDI plc has entered into a promise of sale agreement to transfer Fort Tigné to J. Portelli Projects Ltd, apprehension was voiced by members of the public who fear that the fort could be altered or compromised under new ownership. Mr Portelli, however, has given assurances that the structure itself will remain exactly as it is.
In comments to WhosWho.mt, Mr Portelli stressed that the fort will not be changed, emphasising that any development associated with the project will respect the site’s heritage value. This position is reinforced by the fort’s Grade 1 scheduling – the highest level of protection afforded under Maltese planning regulations – which strictly limits any form of alteration. In practice, this means that even if changes were desired, they would not be permissible.
Fort Tigné’s Grade 1 status places it under significantly tighter controls than nearby structures such as the former Fort Cambridge Ex-British Service Barracks, which are Grade 2 scheduled and therefore subject to a lower level of protection.
Planning documentation linked to the original concession granted to MIDI further underlines these constraints. The fort itself is defined as a two-storey tower, with development historically envisaged around – rather than within – the structure. Earlier proposals for the wider site had focused on adaptive reuse of surrounding areas, including flanks and barrack blocks, which were intended to host retail and catering outlets, artisan workshops, and restaurants, with courtyards serving as communal hubs.
The same development brief had also contemplated the repair and integration of reinforced concrete gun emplacements into a promenade overlooking both the ditch and the sea. Separately, the space within the ditch – currently occupied by a reverse osmosis plant – was identified as a potential location for a hotel, incorporating a prominent vertical feature, distinct from the fort itself.
Against this backdrop, Mr Portelli has positioned the project as a heritage-sensitive redevelopment rather than a transformation of the fort, describing the vision as one that would deliver an exceptional hospitality destination while preserving one of Malta’s most significant historic landmarks.
He has framed the proposed hotel as a potential flagship project, aspiring to rank among Europe’s most beautiful, while maintaining the integrity of Fort Tigné – a structure that, by law and by design, is set to remain largely unchanged.
