West Kiryat Gat is being positioned as one of the largest new housing projects for the Haredi public in coming years. A special newspaper, "Bemishkanot," distributed with Haredi dailies, for the first time laid out the scale of the plans, infrastructure and public investment behind the project, which is expected to become a major residential center for Haredi families over the next decade.
According to the report, the first stage already includes plans for about 7,850 housing units, with thousands more apartments expected later. The paper said the project is unusually large compared with most Haredi housing developments built in recent decades. The area is also described as attractive because of its transport links, including proximity to Highway 6, Highway 35 and the Kiryat Gat railway station.
The site is also close to major employment centers, including an industrial park where companies such as Intel operate. The planning calls for schools, synagogues, public spaces and community centers so the neighborhood can serve the Haredi population from the first stages of occupancy.
At the center of the complex is the "Mishkenot Shir" project, a joint venture of Reisdor and Shviro, with about 2,500 units. It will include 3-, 4- and 5-room apartments, garden apartments and 6-room duplexes in low-rise boutique buildings designed for Haredi family life, together with education, worship, community, service and retail spaces.
