Park-and-ride needed to offset Rialto venue’s traffic

Developer and hotelier GP Borg’s plans for Bormla’s Rialto theatre will be a multi-purpose venue set to attract 300 patrons during events, requiring 120 parking spaces.

Consultants ADI said in their project statement for the developers that with 337 incoming and outgoing car trips, patrons should be encouraged to use cabs, shared transport, and sea transport due to lack of parking spaces in the area.

The study was requested by the Planning Authority for information on the traffic impacts of the project.

It also proposes a park-and-ride system that uses available car parks and on-street parking in the surrounding area, such as at Verdala Gate in Bormla, Panzavecchia Street in Senglea, the St James bastion in Żabbar, and along Cottonera Road and Triq il-Ġublew tal-Fidda in Birgu.

The Rialto rooftop venue will be the most controversial aspect of the project due to residents’ fears of noise-generating events like weddings.

The venue will be created under a restored, larger steel-frame roof that replaces the existing one, currently made of asbestos cement sheets, while evoking the style of the historical roof.

Speaking to MaltaToday in July 2023, Charlon Gouder, a shareholder in the project, said the rooftop will “serve as a space from which one can enjoy the best views of Cottonera and its surroundings.”

ADI said GP Borg is hoping for a “flexible arrangement” on the types of events that can be hosted at the Rialto, which could include a public hall and exhibition hall, a restaurant, and as a conference centre.

The multi-purpose venue is likely to have the most intensive use with its 300sq.m customer area, hosting 300 patrons, or less with a banquet set-up.

The multi-purpose venue is unlikely to generate significant trips during peak traffic hours, with peak flows more likely to occur in the early evening or at 6pm-7pm, or early afternoon such as 1pm on a Sunday.

The traffic estimates of 120 spaces for 300 guests are based on surveys conducted at another popular wedding venue in central Malta.

The Rialto is owned by the Labour Party, which plans to lease it to a private company that submitted plans to transform the building into an entertainment and cultural venue.

Rialto Operations Ltd was the selected bidder: owned 90% by GP Borg Holdings, a ready-mix concrete supplier apart from other hotel interests, and 10% by with lawyer Charlon Gouder, CEO of Malta’s tuna ranching lobby.

Rialto Operations envisions the creation of a new theatre with catering facilities, a restaurant, a rooftop multi-purpose venue, an interconnected social club, and a boutique hotel linked to an adjacent townhouse.