Property developer Joseph Portelli eyes Labour’s Rialto in Bormla
Gozitan entrepreneur Joseph Portelli has set his eyes on the Rialto Cinema building in Bormla, which belongs to the Labour Party.
Portelli is believed to be one of several developers that
have shown an interest in the majestic building, which the PL wants to
commercialise, sister newspaper Illum reports.
Only recently, Portelli, through his company J. Portelli
Projects, became the main sponsor of the locality’s regatta club.
An expression of interest for the commercialisation of the
disused cinema issued by the PL earlier this year closes on 31 May.
The party wants to remain the owner of the site but expects
a return through a lease agreement with the winning bidder. The party wants the
proposed commercial activities to be “viable” and of “a high level”.
The PL is expected to select the winning the bidder by
December this year.
The Rialto was a cinema that stopped operating in 1988.
Since then, the building has only been used sporadically for some PL events. It
is a Grade 2 building and occupies a prominent location in Bormla’s main square
opposite the Dock 1 promenade.
The theatre used to accommodate over 1,000 people and opened
in 1956.
Grade 2 buildings are of some architectural or historical
interest. Alterations to the interior will be allowed if proposed to be carried
out sensitively and causing the least detriment to the character and
architectural homogeneity of the building.
Portelli is from Nadur and his recent sponsorship of the
Bormla regatta club raised eyebrows. It followed Portelli’s more recent
sporting venture when he became president of Hamrun Spartans football club,
which went on to win the Premier League title.
Portelli’s company is involved in several construction
projects, including Paceville’s Mercury Towers.
Earlier this month, the Gozitan developer was held for
questioning by police over alleged connections with former superintendent
Raymond Aquilina.
Aquilina was arrested and interrogated over allegations that
he leaked information on impending money laundering raids on murder middleman
Melvin Theuma.
But police for the Financial Crimes Investigation Department
widened their investigation into Aquilina and certain property deals he may
have been involved in.
Portelli was interrogated over possible links with Aquilina
and certain property deals that took place.
Second District Labour MP Glenn Bedingfield told Illum that
he agreed with the PL’s strategy to commercialise the disused building but
emphasised that this should also include cultural spaces to be enjoyed by
residents and visitors.
His views were echoed by Bormla Mayor Alison Zerafa Civelli.
She hoped the place could either be revived as a theatre or cinema as it was
before, or providing space for artistic and cultural activities.
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