18/03/2026

Friends of the Earth Malta joins Residenti Beltin, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA, Moviment Azzjoni Socjali and Moviment Graffitti, to express their grave concern regarding the future of the Evans Building in Valletta, a publicly-owned national asset that for decades has been the subject of repeated political promises yet remains unavailable to the very community it should serve.

The recent news that the hotel concession was reversed, being fundamentally flawed,  has once again placed the future of the building in uncertainty and has reinforced residents’ and civil societ long-standing concerns regarding attempts to privatise a public asset through long-term concessions.

The Evans Building does not belong to private interests, nor should it be treated as a commercial opportunity. It is a public asset, owned by the people of Malta and should first and foremost serve Valletta’s residents.

For more than two decades, Valletta residents have repeatedly been promised that the building would be used for community purposes, particularly the long-awaited provision of a residential home for a rapidly ageing population. These promises were made by different administrations and by representatives from both major political parties.

Despite these assurances, the building has repeatedly been placed on the table for commercial exploitation. Each electoral cycle brings renewed proposals, attractively termed as “regeneration” or “revitalisation” in order to justify commercial redevelopment. Such language and polished visual presentations attempt to present tourism-driven projects as desirable progress, while masking the social consequences that residents of Valletta have already experienced for years.

Valletta today faces the cumulative impact of excessive tourism-driven development. Dramatic touristic expansion has resulted in some 120 hotels and tourist accommodations, plus 250 catering establishments and entertainment venues in just 10 years, transforming the character of the city.

The consequences are visible: a declining resident population, the loss of essential neighbourhood services, increasing pressure on infrastructure, and the steady erosion of Valletta’s identity as a living city as well as undermining the values of authenticity required by UNESCO World Heritage Site designation.

Thus, attempts to convert the Evans Building into yet another commercial tourism project represent a continuation of a model that has already placed immense strain on the community, undermining residents’ quality of life.

Billy McBee, Residenti Beltin spokesman said “The Evans Building symbolises something far greater than a single redevelopment project. For Valletta residents, it has become a symbol of broken promises and political betrayal.

Successive governments have acknowledged the need for community facilities in Valletta, yet  despite years of political authority, economic growth and repeated electoral assurances, this commitment has never materialised.”

There were no insurmountable legal, financial or administrative obstacles preventing its delivery. The absence of a care facility today can only be understood as a lack of political will in favour of residents who are sacrificed to further enrich local oligarchs.

Now that the concession process has been halted, Parliament and political leaders have an opportunity to correct a course that residents have opposed for many years.

On behalf of the NGOs, Astrid Vella, FAA spokesperson, called on Members of Parliament from both sides of the House to publicly and unequivocally commit to the immediate withdrawal of the Evans Building from any form of concession, privatisation or commercial development process.

”We call for formal and binding commitment that the Evans Building will be returned fully to the Valletta community, with a guarantee that the building will be used exclusively for community purposes, including social services and facilities that directly support Valletta residents, particularly the elderly.”

At this critical moment, both of Malta’s major political parties must demonstrate leadership and responsibility by committing, clearly and in writing, to safeguarding this public asset for the benefit of the Valletta community.

Valletta residents have waited decades for these commitments to be honoured. They should not be expected to accept further empty pxromises, promotional campaigns or attractive project presentations that place commercial interests before community needs. The Evans Building must finally be returned to the Valletta community, for the Valletta community.

Residenti Beltin
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA)
Friends of the Earth (Malta)
Moviment Azzjoni Socjali
Moviment Graffitti