Project Description
Msida was once an old fishing village at one of the distant inlets of Marsamxett Harbour
at the end of a valley descending from higher inland grounds. Its name is reputed to
derive from ‘Omm Sidna’ (Our Lord’s mother), due to a niche or statue of the Holy
Mother whom the fishermen prayed to before setting out on their boats. The inner area
in front of the parish church was once a sandy inlet where fishermen rested their boats
when not in use.
Much of modern-day Msida’s seafront and marina were reclaimed from the sea after
World War II, much-being war debris from demolished properties. The town centre and
surrounding areas are located at or below sea level so whenever it rains heavily or floods
tides, a persistent rise in water levels causes reasonable flooding inland.
In 2021, the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation (GHRC) embarked on
regeneration project along the Msida promenade at a cost of approximately €2 million
from local funding. The promenades will be widened by two metres, without taking away
existing parking spaces and will include cycling lanes, near railings all around, berthing
facilities, a slipway and better access for boat owners, the planting of trees that blend
with the local environment, a new irrigation system, street furniture and a new lighting
and CCTV system. Around 350m are to paved with durable natural materials such as
porfido and hardstone.
The regeneration of the Msida promenade will modernise the area and eventually
together with another project entrusted to GHRC, the Pieta Promenade will form a
stretch of the walkway connecting Sa Maison to the Sliema promenade.
Ix-Xatt tal-Msida
L-Imsida darba kienet raħal antik tas-sajd f’waħda mid-daħliet ġewwiena tal-Port ta’
Marsamxett, fit-tarf ta’ wied li jinżel minn art għolja interni. Ismimha huwa maħsub li ġej
minn ‘Omm Sidna’ minħabba niċċa jew statwa tal-Madonna li s-sajjieda kienu jitolbu
quddiema qabel jitilqu fuq id-dgħajjes tagħhom. Iż-żona ta’ ġewwa quddiem il-knisja
parrokkjali darba kienet daħla ramlija fejn is-sajjieda kienu jiġbduu d-dgħajjes tagħhom
meta ma kinux jintużaw.
Ħafna mill-faċċata tal-baħar u l-marina tal-Imsida ta’ żmienna huma riżultat ta`
reklemazzjoni mill-baħar wara t-Tieni Gwerra Dinjija, ħafna minnhom fdalijiet
proprjetajiet imwaqqgħin. Iċ-ċentru tal-Imsida u ż-żoni tal-madwar jinsabu l-fuq jew taħt
il-livell tal-baħar u għalhekk kull meta tagħmel xita qawwija jew il-maltempata, ikun
hemm żieda persistenti fil-livelli tal-ilma li tikkawża għargħar raġonevoli fuq l-art.
Fl-2021, il-Korporazzjoni għar-Riġenerazzjoni tal-Port il-Kbir (GHRC) nediet proġett ta’
riġenerazzjoni tul il-promenade tal-Imsida bi spiża ta’ madwar €2 miljun minn fondi
lokali. Il-promenades se jitwessgħu b’madwar zewg metri, mingħajr ma jitneħħew l-
ispazji tal-parkeġġ eżistenti u se jinkludu korsiji għar-roti, railings ġodda mad-dawra
kollha, faċilitajiet għall-irmiġġ, skall u aċċess aħjar għas-sidien tad-dgħajjes, it-tħawwil
ta’ siġar li jaqblu mal-ambjent lokali, sistema ġdida ta’ tisqija, għamara tat-toroq u
sistema ġdida ta’ dawl u CCTV. Ser jigu pavimentati madwar 350 metru b’materjal li
jiflah ghal elementi bhal porfido u gebla tal-franka.
Eventwalment il-promenade tal-Imsida ser ikun, flimkien mal-progett iehor ukoll fdat
f’idejn il-GHRC, dak tal-Pieta’, qed joffri kontinwita ghal mixja tul il-kosta li miz-zona ta
Sa Maison tibqa sejra sa Tas-Sliema.
