Tel Aviv Approves Dizengoff Center Expansion With Tiny Apartments and Rooftop Park

The Tel Aviv-Yafo Local Planning and Building Committee has recommended advancing a plan to expand and renew the Dizengoff Center shopping mall. The proposed plan, designed by architect Gidi Bar-Or, includes adding approximately 32,860 square meters of construction. This expansion will add three floors and a partial floor to the existing commercial structure, bringing parts of the complex up to seven stories high, while the two existing towers will remain unchanged.

A key feature of the plan is the construction of up to 85 micro-apartments, ranging from 27 to 35 square meters each, intended for permanent rental. Approximately 15% of these units (13 apartments) will be designated as affordable housing, rented at 40% below market rates for at least 25 years. The plan also incorporates a hotel or hostel with 40 to 50 rooms, the renovation of the 'Lev' cinema, and the sports center.

Parking at the center will be reduced from 874 spaces to 843. A significant addition will be a continuous public park on the rooftop, spanning at least 3.5 dunams (approximately 0.86 acres). This park will be open to the public daily and will feature landscaping, seating areas, urban farming, beekeeping, environmental activities, and renewable energy production facilities.

The street level will see new commercial storefronts, improved connections to King George Street and a planned pedestrian mall, and approximately 1,945 square meters allocated for public uses such as daycare centers and kindergartens. The plan underwent an impact assessment due to its location within the buffer zone of the 'White City' UNESCO World Heritage site, but still requires final approval from the District Committee and building permits.