A revised planning application has been submitted for the long-delayed Metropolis project in Gżira, which has remained dormant for 17 years and left the site largely as a 6,000- square metre excavation with only limited underground works carried out.The new proposal (PA 6474/25), filed by Libyan entrepreneur Galal Ibrahim Husni Bey and designed by architect Edwin Mintoff, seeks to significantly alter the previously approved scheme according to MaltaToday. It would replace the original three-tower development with a single high-rise building rising to 34 storeys.Unlike earlier plans, which focused on residential, office, and retail uses, the revised project introduces hotel accommodation on the lower levels alongside residential units, commercial spaces, ancillary facilities, and underground parking, while also sanctioning existing basement layouts.The development site spans the area bounded by Enrico Mizzi Street in Gżira, Testaferrata Street in Ta’ Xbiex, Giorgio Mitrovich Street and D’Argens Street in Msida.While the overall height is broadly comparable to the tallest tower previously approved, the new design consolidates the massing into a single, more centralised and bulkier structure, marking a shift in both form and land use.The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has indicated that the revised proposal may require further environmental assessment, noting that earlier approvals were based on studies carried out in 2007 and updated in 2008, and that the new plans introduce additional land uses and alter the distribution of mass on the site.In its preliminary response, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage cautioned that the revised proposal may impact important cultural and strategic views, especially those facing Valletta. It called for photomontages from key vantage points—such as the University of Malta quadrangle and various locations around the Grand Harbour—comparing the approved scheme with the proposed design, in order to properly evaluate visual impacts before providing further feedback.What do you make of this?•