Guest house proposed instead of disused Kuncizzjoni building

A restaurant aiming for Michelin Star status and eight guest rooms with outdoor pools are being proposed instead of a disused building in the picturesque Kuncizzjoni area in Rabat.

The existing building, which is presently abandoned, was originally approved as a poultry farm in 1980 but was subsequently turned into a restaurant with guest rooms through a permit issued in 1992.

Plans submitted by Mic Entertainment in an application presented by Wigi Micallef, who also owns the Green Supplier Garden Centre, envisage the complete demolition of the disused building, formerly known as Alcaraz, and its replacement with a restaurant, eight guest rooms and two green houses.

The main building will consist of a basement level and the overlying ground floor will house the reception, the restaurant kitchen and seating areas.

A garden and pool will be located at roof level. A separate building, partly sunken in the terrain will house the eight guest accommodation rooms, each of which will have a private pool and a terrace.

The site in question is in the limits of Bahrija within a scheduled area of High Landscape Value and near the Victoria Lines along the ridge.

The Environment and Resources Authority has already expressed its concern that approval of this proposal would lead to the intensification of urban development which will impact negatively on the rural character of the site and may lead to future development pressures in this sensitive area.  The ERA is presently assessing whether the project would require an EIA but has already decreed that such a development is objectionable from an environmental point of view.

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage has also asked for photomontages of the project from different views before issuing its recommendations.

But in a Project Development Statement the developers contend that the project is based on a concept of “sustainability and self-sufficiency”, with the purpose being that of offering “a unique culinary experience” to patrons whereby guests can stay in the guest house following their meal cooked with produce which is grown on-site.  The restaurant is described as “high-end”, one which would aim for Michelin status.

The proponents also claim that the project will represent a visual improvement due to the lowering of the high boundary walls on all four sides and the replacement of paved areas with soft landscaping. The PDS acknowledged that the development will result in light pollution in the secluded area but proposes low-lying lighting to the impact on the surroundings.