The following is a Company Announcement by Simonds Farsons Cisk p.l.c. pursuant to the Malta Financial Services Authority Listing Rule 5.13.
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Proposed Masterplan for the Farsons Business Park Project
The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that following last year’s statement of intent on the vision concerning the re-use of non-operational land at Mriehel, progress has been made on the preparation of a masterplan for the development of the Farsons Business Park. This initial masterplan has been submitted to the Board for its consideration.
A visionary masterplan for the façade building and land has been prepared by Ian Ritchie Architects, a British firm of international repute. Ian Ritchie has received more than 60 national and international awards for his projects and shortlisted four times for the RIBA Stirling Prize shortlist and the European Mies Van der Rohe Prize. He has personally been honoured with a CBE among other prestigious awards.
Ian Ritchie Architects are supported by Malta based engineers TBA Periti as well as a host of specialists covering building sustainability, landscape, lighting and visitor experience design. The masterplan involves the transformation of the iconic Old Brewhouse and former Packaging Halls, which are set to be given a new lease of life.
Respect for the industrial heritage of these valuable assets has been placed at the heart of the proposal, while the philosophy behind the masterplan seeks to capture the essence of Malta through a series of courtyard gardens, which will provide a unique, tranquil and inspiring place to work and visit. The project will set new spatial, environmental and technical standards for “green” buildings in Malta, with energy efficient performance and building sustainability central to the new office design to meet the future demands of exceptional quality work environments for local and international companies.
Once completed, the project will include around 50,000m2 of commercial space anchored by Grade A offices, together with complementary retail, leisure, cultural and social facilities – so beginning a new chapter in the future transformation of the industrial area of Mriehel.
The Old Brewhouse itself will be transformed into a vibrant leisure entertainment hub with restaurants, bars, event spaces and a dynamic brewery visitor experience which celebrates the past, present and future of Farsons and its brands, and showcasing the brewing and packaging processes and latest innovations. It will also provide a new generation of innovative workspace solutions for creative and emerging business enterprises.
The Brewery façade will be sensitively restored and pioneer the showcasing of Malta’s industrial heritage.
The Board has recently been presented with an initial proposal of this masterplan, and is now studying the way forward to secure the necessary MEPA, Transport Malta and other regulatory approvals before proceeding on to the detailed design phases of the project.
The Board will also be engaging with financial service providers on the best way to structure and fund the project, as well as with other potential stakeholders, such as developers in the Mriehel area and Government agencies which own substantial areas of land in the vicinity.
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Antoinette Caruana
Company Secretary
18th June 2014