Jerusalem has a serious lack of affordable housing. There is no lack of luxury units in fancy neighborhoods with overseas owners that are empty most of the year.
Once the 20,000 housing unit Safdie Plan was shot down in 2007 by environmental protests, prices were bound to go up and up.
I am not against green spaces.
It was great to see children at activities over the holidays in the Nature Center.
If you remember The Nature Center was set to be sold to developers.
Take a walk around a few old Jerusalem streets.
When walking on Jaffa Road, this site was under construction,
and now the new building impressively rises above the street.
A few weeks ago We Work was a huge construction site.
How will they open in October as announced?
I saw that one small section of the WeWork building was lit up at night.
So it must be opening in stages – sounds like good planning.
The Museum of Tolerance building has been proceeding quietly.
This old abandoned eyesore is gone, and instead a new hotel complex under construction.
These buildings now dwarf the idyllic garden of Ticho House.
Here is a view of these new buildings towering over HaRav Kook Street.
Other old buildings are getting face-lifts and additional floors added on top.
Developers under TAMA 38 are hoping to get residents to add space, elevators and new porches or secure rooms.
Then the builders sell the new penthouse(s) added on top for top dollar to finance the projects.
Signs are posted on many streets, as obtaining work permits drags on.
I recently spotted construction behind buildings,
or on top of views. Construction can be seen in various stages and locations.
I could show so many more, but enough already.
A few signs were posted for a community meeting concerning a building project at Dov Kimhe and Tchernichofsky Streets.
Residents of the area packed the room to hear announcement of the Tochnit Av, the master plan of a major Jerusalem building project.
The Tochnit Av is for more than one neighborhood, first Rechavia, but also Moshava, Baka, all the way to the Katamonim.
The project aims to build up – and up, to add housing units.
The triangle of space in yellow off of Dov Kimhe is one of the areas for this project.
The old buildings on the left are to be replaced with a 21-story tower, and also a 9- and 10-story apartment buildings.
Nursery schools, a shopping mall and hundreds of new units are projected.
Sounds great.
Only.
Now Tchernikofsky Street comes to a standstill in normal morning traffic.
Dov Kimhe is a narrow, one lane road hardly wide enough for trucks to pass through.
Parking? The driver I saw at night did not want his photo taken, as he tried to fit on the side walk behind me which was full of cars.
To say the least, most of the property owners in the area are not pleased.
Meanwhile, the plan for the Jerusalem Gateway is progressing.
Every time one goes to the area there is a new traffic pattern.
Familiar streets are blocked and closed.
Streets and pedestrian crossings are constantly changing.
Excavators and trucks are working in some of the fenced off areas.
This future center of the Jerusalem business district and Israeli government district is under construction.
Jerusalem is going up and up.
Mayor Nir Barkat is on his way out, and a new municipal government will be in, in the near future.
But I sure hope that the municipal planning is better than the planning for Jerusalem street signs.
Truly amazing what has changed in the past ten or even four years.
Even more amazing to see what will happen in Jerusalem in the next ten years.
