The Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee has approved for deposit a major development plan for the Tel Beit Shemesh district, in the oldest part of the town. The plan includes 570 housing units, tens of thousands of square meters of commercial and office space, a 200-room hotel, a sports hall, and the National Museum of the Ma'abarot, which will tell the story of Beit Shemesh and the immigrant transit camps set up in the 1940s and 1950s.
The plan, which covers 48.75 acres along Ben Gurion Boulevard from the IDF memorial through to the entrance to the city at Ben-Zeev Boulevard, was designed by architect Arie Kutz.
Kutz said, "This is a very central piece of land for the city and part of the oldest area of the city that has remained open for very many years. When we started working we decided to promote a plan of intensive construction with a broad range of uses, which combines preservation of a major green strip including a stream and large park, which surrounds the oldest part of the town and connects up to the new archeological digs at Tel Beit Shemesh."
Beit Shemesh Mayor Dr. Aliza Bloch said. "This is huge news for the city of Beit Shemesh. The economic and cultural development of the city is continuing at full steam. The significance of this decision is that dozens of businesses will start operating in the city and the continued positioning of Beit Shemesh as a focus for tourism and culture. We will continue to develop Beit Shemesh in these areas for the benefit of the city and its residents."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on April 27, 2021
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