Another significant urban renewal plan in Ashkelon is advancing: The Municipal Planning and Development Committee is expected to discuss this week the submission of the Temel/2065 plan – “Urban Renewal Eli Cohen, Hanasi and Kikiyon” in the old Afridar neighborhood. This is one of the largest and most significant plans currently being promoted in the city, and it is expected to dramatically change the face of the old complex between Eli Cohen, Hanasi and Kikiyon streets.
The plan covers an area of approximately 58 dunams and currently includes 402 existing housing units in 19 old, 4-5-story housing buildings. The plan proposes to vacate the existing buildings and build in their place a new, modern residential complex that includes 2,407 housing units in 24 new buildings. The planned construction height is expected to range from 9 to 32 floors, with the planning combining residential, commercial, public areas, a cluster of gardens, green areas and new transportation connections. One of the main emphases in the plan is the integration of approximately one-third of small housing units, with the aim of also providing a solution for young couples, home improvement projects, investors and residents who wish to remain in the old part of the city but enjoy new, protected and modern construction.
Strengthening the old Afridar neighborhood
The Afridar neighborhood is considered one of the oldest and most well-known neighborhoods in Ashkelon. In recent years, a clear trend has been seen of promoting urban renewal programs in the city's oldest neighborhoods, with the aim of replacing old buildings with new, safer and more secure construction, including MMDIM, upgraded infrastructure and quality public space. The plan in Eli Cohen, the President and the Kikiyon joins a series of urban renewal programs being promoted in Ashkelon, and is part of the broad urban change the city has undergone in recent years.
According to the plan, the new complex will not only include residential buildings, but also commercial facades on the main streets, mainly on Eli Cohen and President avenues, alongside public uses on the ground floors of some of the buildings. In addition, the plan includes allocating approximately 1.5 dunams for a garden cluster, connecting Al-Sena Street to Eli Cohen Street, upgrading the existing green network, creating open public spaces and maximum preservation of existing mature trees. This means that this is not just an addition of housing units, but a redesign of an entire urban complex - with an emphasis on quality of life, accessibility, neighborhood commerce, green spaces and public buildings.
The plan is divided into three sub-complexes: 959 housing units are planned in the first complex.
The second complex is planned to have 803 housing units.
The third complex is planned to have 645 housing units. According to published data, appraisal reports according to Standard 21.1 indicate an entrepreneurial profitability of approximately 11.81% to 13.68% in the three complexes, a figure that indicates the economic feasibility of advancing the project, subject to the continuation of the planning procedures and the required approvals.