The MIDI plc consortium had placed a combined price tag of around €15 million on Fort Tigné and Fort Manoel in discussions to sell the historic sites back to the government, according to a report by Times of Malta.

The proposal was made roughly a year before MIDI reached an agreement to sell Fort Tigné to developer Joseph Portelli for €2.5 million, a deal announced last month. Government sources said the offer was rejected because the price was considered “outrageous”.

Senior officials described the proposed deal as financially unattractive, noting that the ongoing upkeep of historic fortifications is costly and typically loss-making. One source characterised the proposal as a scenario where MIDI would retain the profitable elements of its concession while transferring the financial burden of heritage maintenance back to the state.

Another government official, however, suggested that the decision was not simply a rejection of the offer but reflected a broader shift in ambition which has now seen the government take both the Fort and Manoel Island ain its entirety.

A MIDI spokesperson confirmed that discussions with the government had taken place regarding the potential reversion of Fort Manoel and Fort Tigné, including the recovery of restoration costs incurred by the consortium. These talks, the spokesperson said, were held within the wider context of possible amendments to the concession deed governing the sites.

In December, MIDI and J. Portelli Projects Ltd announced a promise-of-sale agreement for Fort Tigné, with Portelli outlining plans to convert the fortification into a high-end, low-density hotel. That proposal was subsequently criticised by Robert Abela, who described the concept as “obscene” and reiterated the government’s commitment to returning the fort to the public.

MIDI later stated that it had engaged with the government and Heritage Malta about returning Fort Tigné to state ownership before seeking private investment, though no details of any potential intervention have been disclosed.

The concession granted to MIDI at the turn of the century runs for 99 years and still has around 75 years remaining. It covers both the Tigné Point development — now home to residential and commercial projects — and Manoel Island. Separate talks are currently under way to return Manoel Island to public hands following sustained public and activist pressure, though the terms of any agreement remain undisclosed.