Eden development to create 800 jobs

by Steve Chetcuti

Around 800 jobs will be created by Eden Leisure Group by 2002, Eden director Ian Decesare said yesterday.
Mr Decesare said staff would be required to work in the new Interncontinental Hotel, the IMAX cinema, Cynergi Health and Fitness Club
and the ice rink. However, he added, that finding the people could be a problem.
“Our problem is whether we will be able to find all the people we need especially with so many projects going on at present,” Mr Decesare said.
Once complete, the Eden project is St Julian’s will include a 450-bed Intercontinental Hotel, state-of-the-art IMAX cinema, ice rink and the largest fitness centre on the islands. The latter two will open next year.
The impressive IMAX cinema is one of only 220 around the globe.
Kevin Decesare said the view from all the seats, front and back, will be of the same, high quality.
“Vision and sound is perfect from everywhere. IMAX is designed to be of an extremely high quality and everything, including the noise from the air-conditioning units, was carefully planned to offer no distraction or interference,” he said.
“Seating in the six-storey high IMAX theatre, which is disabled-friendly, is limited to 296, he said.
The developers plan to open the innovative cinema on 6 December but have encountered unexpected problems.
Mr Ian Decesare said: “The projectors are about to arrive and everything else is ready but the screen is blocked in Antwerp. But I do not think we will have to move the day of the opening.”
He stressed that the Lm2 million IMAX was a totally different concept from the normal cinema show. Prices will be different, he said, with the highest being Lm3. Reduced rates will be available.
The hotel, Mr Decesare said, will also include conference halls and the Lm20 million development lies on top of a 315-car park which will be enough to serve the needs of the new complex designed by architects Bezzina and Cole.
The Eden Leisure director said a massive garden covering an area of four tumoli will be planted on top of the ice rink bringing a touch of greenery to the area.
During the excavations to make way for the site, a staggering quarter of a million cubic metres of rock were dug up. But all the material was recycled and used in the construction process or sold to other contractors.