The Supreme Court today ruled that the Four Seasons hotel company cannot build apartments on the upper floors of its planned hotel in Jerusalem. The hotel will be built on land between the German Colony and the Liberty Bell Park.
Justices Yoram Danziger, Miriam Naor, and Edmond Levy agreed with the Jerusalem District Court ruling that the exemption on a tender for the land given to the company is void. The cancellation came after it was made clear that the company planned building apartments as well as a hotel.
Four Seasons was granted an exemption by the Israel Lands Administration from bidding for a tender so that it could build a hotel that would include at least 200 rooms. When it became clear to US hotelier Shimi Horn, who owns the neighboring lot, that Four Seasons planned building apartments on as well as a hotel, he appealed to the Jerusalem District Court on the matter, claiming that he be allowed to bid for a public tender to purchase the lot.
The Jerusalem District Court ruled that the Israel Lands Administration was not entitled to allocate the land without a tender if apartments were to be built on them.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 4, 2009
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