Evans Building earmarked for hotel development

Evans Building at the tip of Valletta has been earmarked by the government for hotel development and a request for proposals is expected shortly, MaltaToday has learnt.

The four-storey building was built in 1952 to serve as university laboratories and was subsequently used to house a number of government offices, including the Electoral Commission.

The site also includes the lost remains of the Chapel of Bones, which is located beneath the ground.

Sources close to government said the request for proposals will seek to gauge interest from the private sector for a 65-year concession to transform the building into tourist accommodation.

The conditions are expected to include the retention of the building’s outer shell, despite this not being a requirement according to the 2011 St Elmo development brief, and archaeological investigations and restoration of buried structures.

This will be the second RFP issued by Malta Strategic Partnership Projects, a government entity, for the regeneration of a public building. The first RFP was issued for the Chalet in Sliema.

Prime Minister Robert Abela had indicated the Chalet, Evans Building and the old fish market in Grand Harbour (the pixkerija) as public buildings the government wanted to give out on concession for redevelopment.