Three new plans for commercial spaces in the eastern part of the capital were submitted last week at Jerusalem City Hall, according to the Globes business news site.
Plans were approved for hundreds of thousands of meters of new business space:
- A-Tur neighborhood: 100,000 square meters of office, industrial and commercial space
- Wadi al-Joz: 200,000 square meters of office, commercial and hotel space
- Umm Tuba: 75,000 square meters of office, light industry, workshops and commercial space
The 45-dunam (11.25 acre) site in A-Turn connects directly to the Jerusalem-Dead Sea Road, close to the HaZeitim interchange, and was designed by Geo Ben Gur Architecture.
The 80-dunam (20 acre) site in Wadi Joz, part of a broader development plan, extends from the main street to Hebrew University Boulevard in the north. Ten percent of the project will contain an eight-floor housing development in the southern section and a 14-floor housing project in the northern section. The site was designed by Ari Cohen Architecture and Urban Planning.
The 66-dunam (16.5 acre) site in Umm Tuba is located east of the Har Homa neighborhood and Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, with good road access, and includes an open public area in the northern section, landscaping along Nahal Darga Road and pathways connecting the residential section to the business zone. The site was designed by Nilly Harag.
In all three of the above Arab neighborhoods, there are no set areas for workspaces, lawyers and accountants, and specialists’ clinics, according to Itai Shafran, Business Development Manager at Geocartography Knowledge Group, who spoke with Globes.
“We are investing in developing employment zones in all parts of the city, including eastern Jerusalem,” said Mayor Moshe Leon. “This is in order to provide varied employment opportunities to many of the residents of the eastern area in the city.
“We are working with the aim of narrowing gaps and affording opportunities to all residents of the city: a united Jerusalem, eastern and western, through action.”
All three sites will be accessible from the western sections of the city.