The plan scheduled for discussion today (Monday) by the District Committee includes the demolition of 468 old housing units in the Givat Sharett neighborhood, paving the way for large-scale urban renewal in Beit Shemesh. The project will feature mid-rise buildings alongside towers of up to 35 stories, along with commercial spaces and public facilities. Meanwhile, the Southern District Committee will also review a plan promoted by the Jewish Agency to build 450 small housing units in Be’er Sheva, intended for rental to young adults.

By Doron Breitman, Nadlan Center

The subcommittee for urban renewal of the Jerusalem Regional Committee will convene today (Monday) to discuss the advancement of a major urban renewal plan in Beit Shemesh, known as the “Narkis Neighborhood”. The plan, a large-scale pinui-binui (evacuation and reconstruction) initiative promoted by the Golden Israel Group, calls for the demolition of 23 apartment buildings containing 486 existing residential units in the old Givat Sharett neighborhood, also known as “Nofei Aviv.” In their place, 3,270 new units will be constructed across seven “urban blocks,” featuring a mix of mid-rise buildings and high-rise towers reaching up to 35 stories.

According to the plan, each urban block will include two high-rise towers and four mid-rise buildings arranged around a shared internal courtyard. The design also features a commercial strip at street level along Harakefet Street, as well as two mixed-use plots at the eastern and northern edges of the complex, combining commercial space, public areas, and residential units. In addition, the plan allocates space for essential neighborhood institutions—such as day-care centers, kindergartens, a mikveh, synagogues, and both an elementary and a high school—helping to meet the broader community needs created by the urban renewal in Beit Shemesh.

Planned by Miloslavsky Architects, the project spans approximately 158 dunams, located between Harakefet Street to the north and Hanarkis Street to the south in the Givat Sharett neighborhood, located in southwestern Beit Shemesh.

A representative from Golden Israel Group stated: “Golden Israel operates nationwide to advance urban renewal and pinui-binui projects, several of which are already in the construction and implementation stages. We are proud to announce significant progress in the Narkis Neighborhood project—an initiative that has the potential to greatly enhance the quality of life in this older part of Beit Shemesh. The project is being carried out in close coordination with the Beit Shemesh municipality and the Jerusalem Regional Committee, both of which are fully committed to supporting the neighborhood’s residents—and, most importantly, in full cooperation with the residents themselves, represented by attorney Avi Babajanov.”

“It’s important to emphasize that even before contracts were signed, the company has been covering monthly rent for the past three years for several residents who were evacuated following a municipal ‘dangerous building’ order,” the statement continued. “This reflects the company’s resident-first approach and highlights the urgency and necessity of advancing a full pinui-binui in the area, due to structural sinking and the risk of building collapse.”

Meanwhile, the Southern Regional Planning and Building Committee is set to meet tomorrow (Tuesday) to advance the Taubel Complex project in Be’er Sheva. Promoted by the Jewish Agency, the plan envisions a residential development of 450 small housing units, averaging 60 square meters each, designated for rental to a younger population. The proposed construction includes a 20-story high-rise tower and two additional buildings, each 10 stories high, as well as approximately 1,000 square meters of commercial space.

The complex covers approximately 18 dunams, located between Arlozorov Street and Gush Etzion Street in Neighborhood G, near student dormitories, the hospital, Wingate Park, and the North Train Station. The plan’s architect is Pick Architects.

Designed by Pick Architects, the complex spans approximately 18 dunams and is situated between Arlozorov Street and Gush Etzion Street in Neighborhood G, near Ben-Gurion University’s student dormitories, Soroka Hospital, Wingate Park, and the North Train Station.