It is as a consequence of the GSLP’s perceivable track record on high-end housing that the beautification plans at Line Wall might be viewed with some suspicion. Perhaps a bloated private rental market is in the stakeholders’ interests, as their commission on luxury sales will inevitably grow as large as the market will permit it to.

CLOGGING VEINS FOR CASH

Critics also fear the current partial closure of the main traffic artery and eventual plans for Line Wall could lead to gridlock and has already hit the taxpayer’s purse strings. Midtown car park is the culprit in this case, with a disproportionate number of private parking spaces when compared to the free ones for the public. Similar to the ghost apartments, the expensive phantom parking spaces are seen on every level of the Midtown complex, to the dismay of the working class.

Furthermore, with the partial closure of Line Wall, commuters and residents in the area have lost their previous free parking in the heart of town. Businesses reliant on a flowing transit system along the area are forced to take the long route and risk heavy traffic during rush hour, especially once schools return to normal functions. As a result, they are also obliged to pay to use the extension of the Midtown corporate hub in order to access their family homes and places of employment.

The much disputed acquisition of the top floor by the Public Prosecutions Office already gives a government presence in the area.

Perhaps more acquisition of luxury real estate along Line Wall may conveniently convert into government offices alongside the elite private sector as the seat of power grows ever more glamorous.

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28-07-2020 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR