Mixed residential, commercial and office use, with a focus on demolition and reconstruction: The Tel Aviv Planning and Building Commission has announced that it will file a plan for the renewal of Ibn Gabirol Street, the one of the main arteries of the city.

The plan covers 198 dunams (49.5 acres) on both sides of the street and includes the addition of 2,500 housing units along its length. “The plan zones the land along the street for a mix of residential, commercial and office use, requires an active commercial frontage facing the street and above an office and a commercial floor, and also allows the use space below ground level for retail and office space,” the announcement reads.The plan was initiated by the Tel Aviv-Yafo Local Planning and Building Commission and was developed by Danny Lazar Architects.

The volume of proposed construction on the street varies. When outside of the White City’s conservation areas, the plan allows for the demolition and reconstruction of up to eight stories, plus a partial roof story. In the areas of the white city, the plan foresees two renewal paths: demolition and reconstruction up to six floors, plus a partial floor on the roof, or addition of a floor in the style of the existing building, for a total of five floors, plus a partial floor on the roof.

Small apartments

The plan also stipulates that at least 50% of new construction must be residential and that 25% of housing must be small apartments of 50 square meters. It also integrates public services such as clinics, nurseries, kindergartens, workshops and fitness studios, and allows hotel use.

“The plan is significant in that it increases the volume of construction on this main street and adapts it to the planning of the Tel Aviv light rail green line which runs through its length, and to the policy of the District Planning and Building Commission on mixed-use development along transit routes, including a zero parking standard along the street and a reduced parking standard on side streets.”

One of the most important streets in Tel-Aviv

Ibn Gabirol Street, named after the 11th-century Spanish-Jewish poet and philosopher Solomon Ibn Gabirol, is one of the most important streets in central Tel Aviv. It was built along the road which, before the founding of the State of Israel, led from Jaffa to the area of ​​the Arab village of Sumeil. This district is now one of the most prestigious parts of the street, close to the Century Tower, also known as the Sumeil site, and on which 2,000 housing units are planned.

The street divides the city’s “Old North” and “New North”, and is the eastern boundary of the UNESCO-declared White City, featuring Bauhaus architecture. It is characterized by a mix of commercial and residential use, and along its length are prominent landmarks such as the London Ministore Mall, Rabin Square, the Tel Aviv Municipality Building and the Gan Ha’ir Mall. . The Tel Aviv Light Rail Green Line, connecting Rishon LeZion and Herzliya, will run underground for its entire length, and will be crossed by the Purple Line running along Arlozorov Street.

Chairman of the Tel Aviv District Planning and Building Commission, Eran Nitzan, said: “The plan allows for the renewal of this main street while preserving its special character and giving priority to pedestrians, cyclists and to public transport routes.

Architect Erez Ben-Eliezer, Tel Aviv Neighborhood Planner at the Interior Ministry’s Planning Administration, said: “The plan encourages the renewal of Ibn Gabirol Street in a way that will continue to support its urban character, while lowering priority to private vehicles and offering a mix of housing and varied commerce, all with the quality and sensitivity required given the location of part of the plan within the declared city area White.

Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on March 22, 2022.

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