More than 1,300 apartments will be built in Jerusalem’s southern Gilo neighborhood in what the Israeli government describes as the most significant urban renewal project ever carried out in the city.
Fifteen buildings of between 12 and 35 floors each will be built, replacing an existing complex of 11 buildings that house a total of 288 apartments.
New commercial areas and public institutions will also be part of the project.
The Construction and Housing Ministry, the Governmental Authority for Urban Renewal, the Jerusalem Municipality and the Amidar state-owned housing company joined together to promote the urban renewal plan, saying it will upgrade the neighborhood, the residential buildings and the social infrastructure so that the well-being of public-housing residents and other neighborhood residents will be significantly improved.
An eviction-construction process will allow many current tenants to move into the new apartments.
There will be about 5,130 square meters (51,000 square feet) for commercial and office spaces, around 6,500 square meters (64,000 square feet) for public buildings and institutions, and about four acres of open spaces.
There will also be a park in the center of the complex that will be connected to the surrounding streets and the neighborhood.
Gilo is located on the southern ridge of Jerusalem about 850 meters above sea level, making it the highest neighborhood in the capital.
