A harsh State Comptroller report published last week said that, more than 20 years after the Versailles Hall disaster, Israel still has not finished dealing with buildings constructed with the Fal-Kal method. The report said the Fal-Kal headquarters had not convened for six years, work on hundreds of buildings remains incomplete, and hundreds of suspected private Fal-Kal buildings have never even undergone an initial identification check.
Against that backdrop, a project in Rishon Lezion is about to provide a possible model for handling at least some of these structures. The "Legacy" project, promoted by Sarugo in the Gan Nahum neighborhood near the renovated Yekev complex, will replace a residential building at 13 Aharon Karon Street that was built with the Fal-Kal method. The planning documents say the goal is to offer a "solution to the problem of an existing building built in the Fal-Kal method."
Raul Sarugo, owner of the company and a former chairman of the Israel Builders Association, said the building was built in the late 1990s and its residents are in a difficult position. He said they cannot rent out apartments without disclosing the building method, cannot sell without full disclosure, and the apartments have lost value. Unlike older buildings targeted by standard urban renewal schemes, this one was built after the earthquake standard took effect, so it was not naturally eligible for demolition and rebuilding incentives.
The solution combined planning and economics. The site was merged with an adjacent vacant lot, a new local plan was approved, and building rights were expanded enough to make the project viable. A building permit has already been issued, demolition is expected in about two weeks, and sales of the new apartments have begun, with several already sold. The old building had 9 apartments in 5 floors, while the new project will include a 16-story building with 56 apartments.
Sarugo said the project could become a template for Fal-Kal buildings nationwide. He argued that the problem should be folded into urban renewal policy, with special state policy, incentives, tax benefits, and municipal treatment in city renewal plans. He also warned that structural testing itself can be dangerous, because the heavy load used to test Fal-Kal ceilings may cause collapse and leave families without housing.
