Work underway on Concert Area of Malta National Park Project

Development on what is being referred to as a Concert Area, adjacent to Ta’ Qali gardens, is well underway as part of the Malta National Park Project 2022, and further developments in the surrounding zone is expected.

On Wednesday, Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg paid a visit to this area, which he said previously housed a concrete factory that had to be demolished and later turned into a dumping site.

He believed that it would make more sense for the government to take this land from the private sector for it to be used more practically as a place for entertainment, both for public leisure activities and for events. Despite being dubbed as the Concert Area in the overall Malta National Park Project 2022, this space will be open to the public when there are no events being held.

The space is expected to host multiple activities when it is not being used for events as well, ones that will promote subjects like reading and artisanship.

The ongoing works currently involve the shifting of material in the ground so as to bring natural soil back to the surface and remove any waste that was dumped there.

Borg explained that the developers will be closing down roads around the Ta’ Qali area in order to create more space for this project. This means that parking on these closed roads will all be lost, but the Minister said that an underground parking area will be constructed underneath the park itself to make up for this loss.

A water pump system will also be included throughout the park which will water the 80,000 square meters of trees. The space is expected to be one of the Infrastructure Ministry’s most sustainable projects, with alternative methods of energy generation being used for lighting for example.

Valletta Cultural Agency Chairman Jason Micallef said that the environmental aspect is at the core of this project. He said that Ta’ Qali will be the largest greenspace in Malta.

Notably, this area is just one element of the project, but there are different areas around Ta’ Qali that will see changes, like an upgrade to the farmers market and the installation of a jogging track for anyone who enjoys running around the ring road, which is estimated to be 4km long. The regeneration of the pitkalija is planned and even the dog park will have an expansion.