Raanana’s Ahuza Street Set for Fourfold Growth Ahead of Dan Metro Era

Around 100 urban development plans are currently underway to transform city centers across the Dan region in Israel, centered on new metro and light rail lines running beneath the area. These projects collectively include the construction of approximately 300,000 housing units in the country’s most densely populated zone. One of the most advanced plans focuses on Ahuza Street in Raanana, where the number of floors, apartments, and residents near the planned metro station at Ahuza-Ben Gurion intersection is expected to increase dramatically.

Currently, the area contains 3,177 residential units in buildings ranging from old ground-level homes to some seven-story structures, mostly renovated under the Tama 38 framework. The plan proposes a 160% increase in housing units, reaching nearly 8,400 apartments in buildings between 8 and 16 stories tall. Commercial space will also expand, adding 45,000 square meters of employment areas and 40,000 square meters of retail space. This expansion will raise the local population from about 5,100 to approximately 20,000 residents, many of whom are currently older adults.

The plan is promoted by a private company on behalf of the National Planning and Building Council (VATAML), which has held public information sessions and conducted social surveys among residents. The survey revealed mixed feelings: some residents prefer to wait for the plan’s full development, others anticipate changes in property ownership, and some landlords worry that tenants may be deterred by the long and complex renewal process.

Real estate professionals highlight the complexity of the project due to its scale, spanning roughly two kilometers along the metro line, and the diversity of property types, including apartments, shops, offices, parking lots, and warehouses. Legal representatives stress the importance of addressing compensation and benefits for property owners, especially those who currently receive stable rental income from commercial spaces, as well as the impact of increased density on residents.

This Ahuza project is just one of many transformative plans linked to the metro network, which will feature three lines totaling 145 kilometers and 109 stations across 24 municipalities in the Tel Aviv area. The metro’s targeted launch year remains 2037, though this date is not final. The national master plan (Tama 70) guiding the metro’s development envisions significant changes in land use around stations, including substantial additions of housing, commercial, public, and employment spaces. These large-scale urban renewal efforts are expected to provoke local disputes and legal challenges as they proceed.