Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski has cancelled the Arena Hall project, a multipurpose 12,500-seat hall in the southern part of the city, near Teddy Stadium. Senior municipality officials cited "sectoral" reasons for the decision.
In an internal discussion in the mayor's office yesterday, Lupolianski said the project would be frozen for ten to fifteen years. Various sources said the decision means that the project is cancelled.
Two alternatives to the Arena Hall were discussed at the meeting. One is to upgrade the Malcha Sports Hall, and renovating the ICC Jerusalem International Convention Center (Binyanei Ha'ooma), for an estimated aggregate cost of $25-30 million. The other is to build a smaller sports arena on the site of the Arena Hall.
Lupolianski cited economic reasons for his decision. Parties involved in the Arena Hall projected rejected this argument, because the $50 million project is mostly financed by Mifal Hapayis - Israel National Lottery, and the Toto football lottery. Mifal Hapayis has pledged $40 million for the project, Toto $5 million, and the Ministry of Tourism the balance out of its discretionary budget.
A source told "Globes", "Lupoliansky does not want a project that symbolizes the opposite of his religious-haredi (ultra-orthodox) worldview."
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on October 19, 2004