Wednesday, July 07, 2010

German Colony Real Estate Battle

At the triangular corner of Derech Bethlehem and Emeq Refaim is the community house of the Templars.

The prime location of real estate has been the focus of major and heated campaigns *. Local residents have been fighting a plan to construct a major hotel complex there.

Latest round, this banner in the courtyard:-


"Development, Yes! But No Heavy-Handed Trampling!"
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*

For years, developers have been trying to build up the area at the northern entrance to the neighborhood, overlooking Liberty Bell Park. Mass protests in the early 1970s failed to halt the construction of a high-rise apartment building, known as the Omariya compound. In the wake of protests by environmentalists and neighborhood activists, the plans have been altered, and the height of a planned 14-story Four Seasons Hotel has been cut to seven stories

2 comments:

Risa Tzohar said...

Originally the Omariya compound was meant to be a whole bunch of tall buildings only one of which actually got built (by Mizrachi's Mishhav) and the rest were not built because of the protests. The Laromme hotel was also supposed to be taller but got shaved.

Anonymous said...

How about the developers get a building if they demolish the pinsker building in the process?