Bnei Brak Industrial Zone to Be Replaced by Nearly 200 New Apartments

The Tel Aviv District Planning and Building Commission has approved a plan to transform a section of an industrial zone in Bnei Brak into a residential complex, adding approximately 200 new housing units. The "Em HaMoshavot-HaMachabim" urban renewal project will feature 198 housing units, about 1,000 square meters of commercial space, a 12-story public building, and open areas. This initiative aims to convert a long-standing industrial area into a new urban hub integrating housing, commerce, public facilities, and green spaces.

The plan covers an area of about 16 dunams at the intersection of HaMachabim Street and Derech Em HaMoshavot. It includes seven buildings of 6.5 stories each, with around 40 units designated for smaller apartments. The project also incorporates a commercial frontage of approximately 1,000 square meters along HaMachabim Street and a 12-story public building spanning about 19,000 square meters, intended for educational, community, cultural, health, and religious purposes. Additionally, the plan includes about 3 dunams of public open spaces and an active green roof on the public building.

Improvements to public spaces are also part of the plan, such as wider sidewalks, enhanced pedestrian accessibility, acoustic solutions, and stormwater management. These measures are designed to improve the quality of the public realm and create urban continuity between the existing neighborhood and future development areas in the BBC and HaYarkon regions.

District planner for Tel Aviv at the Planning Administration, Erez Ben Eliezer, stated that the plan transforms an old industrial zone, characterized by environmental nuisances, into a new urban complex. He added that the move will contribute to the area's renewal, improve public spaces, meet residents' needs, and strengthen connectivity between existing neighborhoods and future development zones.

Meanwhile, in a separate matter, residents of the HaSofrim complex in Bnei Brak have filed an additional lawsuit against entrepreneur Oded Shariqi, owner of Arzei HaNegev Entrepreneurship and Construction Ltd. The lawsuit, for approximately 1.58 million shekels, was filed in the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court by 29 plaintiffs (15 families) who purchased apartments in the project under the "Price for the Winner" housing program. The core of their claim is that the developer delayed the delivery of the apartments and should therefore pay compensation.