Israel Land Authority (ILA) and the Israel Goldstein Youth Village of Hanoar Hatsioni in Jerusalem have reached an agreement whereby 19 dunam (4.75 acres or 19,000 square meters) of the village's land will be returned to the state. ILA said that six buildings with a total of 316 apartments would be built on this land.
The farm currently occupying the land in question will be moved inside the village, which occupies 60 dunam (15 acres) west of Shai Agnon Boulevard in Jerusalem near St. Simon. The site contains a youth agricultural village, a village for autistic youth, and a Zionist educational institution for new immigrants and students from Jerusalem and the surrounding area. The youth village contains a boarding school for 400 teenagers, a junior high school, and a high school with 200 students from Jerusalem and the surrounding area. Most of the teenagers are new and veteran immigrants, including 100 children in the Naale program enabling teenagers from the Diaspora to earn a high school diploma in Israel.
The ILA council originally decided to give the youth village's land back to the state in November 1969, but the decision was not implemented for 50 years. Under the agreement with ILA, the farm's activity will be moved to the youth village for NIS 15 million. The school's activity was also anchored in a lease.
ILA announced, "70% of the housing units will be allocated to the Buyer Fixed Price Plan. The plan includes commercial and business uses which will generate hundreds of millions of shekels for the state according to initial estimates."
The agreement's signing today was attended by Ministry of Finance Moshe Kahlon, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon, ILA director Adiel Shimron, and agricultural village director Dan Haim.
Kahlon announced, "For decades, Israeli governments hesitated to use this land on which 316 families will live. For me, the most important thing is that a large proportion of the apartments will be allocated to the Buyer Fixed Price Plan, so that young couples have a chance to buy an apartment in the heart of a high-demand area in Jerusalem."
Leon said, "I promised and I'm keeping my promise. The addition of 316 apartments is good news for the city, especially for young couples in Jerusalem. 70% of the apartments in the project will be allocated to the Buyer Fixed Price Plan for young couples in the city. Dear Jerusalemites, this is only the beginning. Adding 316 apartments means adding 316 families and young couples to the city, and that is really good news."
Shimron added, "This is an important agreement that will create more housing units for Jerusalem. ILA sees the land generating significant development and will continue promoting more and more plans on every possible bit of land in order to enlarge and develop Israel."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on December 30, 2018
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