This is old news, but it's better to be late than never
City Hall unveils its plans to bring NYSoho to Tel Aviv
The Tel Aviv municipality is considering the construction of a huge residential neighborhood and commercial center project for artists, in the spirit of New York's Soho district. Ownership of the huge compound between Hamasger Street and the Ayalon highway, which covers an area of about 500 dunams (125 acres), is divided between private landowners and the city, which recently held a meeting to discuss the project.
Under the proposed plan, a multistory commercial and industrial complex similar to the Azrieli center will be built in the northern part of the compound, between Yisraeli and Kaplan streets, Tel Aviv municipal engineer Danny Kaiser said. Hundreds of residential units are planned for the entire area south of this point, in the region of the Montefiore neighborhood to Ben Avigdor Street.
The area currently houses light industry workshops and auto repair shops. The idea is to strengthen the compound by creating a special residential neighborhood that would include studio apartments. Kaiser said the target market for the plan is a population that is willing to live near main roads and a business center, adding that young people and artists who are happy living in less elegant surroundings are already moving into this area.
"Our approach," said Kaiser, "is that a business center should not be abandoned after office hours and that when it is combined with residences, the area feels safer and can be lively in the evenings, too."
Area for the proposed plan
