St Georges Basilica, in Victoria, Gozo, has said that after an interruption of almost five months, work on the site of the new historical and cultural museum is resuming tomorrow, Tuesday, the 31st of August 2010. Demolishment work on the exisiting building had started on April the 7th, 2010, but was suspended after difficulties arose concerning part of the property. The church said that this problem has now been resolved and work on the Fondazzjoni Belt Victoria’s project can now resume as normal.

Project coordinator Mgr Joseph Farrugia, on whose initiative as archpriest the museum venture had started way back in 1999, said that it is the Fondazzjoni Belt Victoria’s intention to conclude the construction phase within three months. Mgr. Farrugia saidn that the site plans, submitted in 2006, had won Mepa approval a year later. However, had it not been for the hitches that cropped up earlier this year, the probability is that the project would have been further ahead in the implimentation of this ERDF-supported project.

FBV chair and project leader, Antoine Vassallo said that the Project Working Group is raring to go, working with the coordinator, towards the realisation of what is perhaps the most important cultural project undertaken to date on the island of Gozo by a non-governmental organisation.

The Working Group met on Saturday, when the agreement was signed under the auspices of St George’s archpriest, Mgr Pawlu Cardona. The project coordinator’s proposal that resumption of construction work should be undertaken immediately was approved.

On Sunday morning a meeting took place between the architect Mr Saviour Micallef, the project coordinator, the project leader and the the director of the construction company, which had been adjudicated the tenders. Mr Micallef detailed the immediate excavation phases and the methods of demolition which will be used to keep inconveniences to a minimum. Residents in the area have been already informed that the work is due to start again.

A plenary meeting of the Working Group is being held on Wednesday, the 1st of September 2010, at the FBV offices at Dar Lehen il-Belt Victoria on St George’s Square.

Information about the works in process can be found on http://www.fbvgozo.org.mt/, a dedicated site will shortly be online to help everyone keep track of the project, and to provide space for other information and interaction.

The new historical and cultural museum is scheduled to be inaugurated by 2012.

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