The Jerusalem District Planning and Building Commission has approved a plan for the site of a plant nursery belonging to the Hanoar Hatzioni youth movement. Located in the Katamon neighborhood in Jerusalem, the plan includes 316 housing units, 25% of which will be small apartments.
The land is currently zoned for residential construction. The Planning and Building Commission emphasized that the plan would not harm the youth movement facility, and no green spaces would be built up, because land involved there is already there zoned for residences.
The plan includes six 10-12-storey residential high-rises. The ground floor, which faces Ben Zakai Street, is zoned for commerce, offices, and public services. The plan also includes 7,943 sq.m. for public buildings, 1,925 sq.m. for commerce, and 3,600 sq.m. open public space. The plan covers 23 dunam (5.75 acres) located on the axis of Ben Zakai Street, Maalei Zeev Street, and Ben Baba Street.
Jerusalem District planner Shira Talmi said, "The additional housing units are important for Jerusalem. The plan greatly improves the public space in the neighborhood, contributes a lot to development of the connection between the bordering neighborhoods, and increases the supply of open public space in the area."
The plan facilitates the development of Ben Zakai Street as a major municipal artery, including a balanced mix of diverse uses for the land: residential, commercial, and public institutions.
The Israel Land Authority (ILA) initiated the plan, and the architect is Ari Cohen Architects and Town Planners.
Published by Globes [online], Israel Business News - www.globes-online.com - on January 8, 2017
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