The Southern Planning and Building Commission this week deposited an outline plan for Eilat for construction of 14,300 housing units and 5,400 hotel rooms. Eilat currently has 60,000 residents, which the plan is designed to increase to 100,000. The plan also zones space in the town: including existing space, there will be 1.4 million square meters zoned for business and industry, 340,000 square meters zone for commerce, and a total of 25,300 hotel rooms. The plan takes into account the expected construction on the site of the airport, which is being evacuated.
The outline plan was formulated in order to turn Eilat into a city combining residence and tourism, and industrial and business development, while strengthening the city center, together with the city's functions as a seaport and international tourist site on Israel's southern border.
In the framework of the plan, the city center will be used for residence, business, and a municipal park. The plan states that urban continuity should be created between the city center and residential and tourism spaces in the southern and eastern parts of the city when evacuation of the airport is completed. The business space in the Shahoret industrial zone in northern Eilat will be expanded, constituting an additional element on which the municipal economy can rely.
An important part of the plan is strengthening tourism in the city and preserving nature and the unique landscape, including the hills, beach, and open spaces. This includes the international bird sanctuary in northern Eilat, the Eilat forest (Holland Park), the Coral Beach, and the surrounding nature preserve. The plan also stipulates principles for the preservation of building and natural heritage in the town, referring to the city's earliest buildings and the Umm Al-Rashrash site.
The outline plan encompasses infrastructure on a national scale, including border crossings, the port, a military base, an airport, a railway, and industrial facilities. The plan was drawn up by the Planning Administration in cooperation with the Eilat municipality and the district planning office, with supervision from an inter-ministerial steering committee containing representatives of government ministries and public agencies. An interdisciplinary team headed by architect Doron Zafrir of the Farhi Zafrir architectural firm prepared the plan.
Published by Globes [online], Israel Business News - www.globes-online.com - on April 27, 2017
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