The Haifa District Planning and Building Committee has approved an urban renewal plan for the municipal market area in central Hadera - initiated by the Government Authority for Urban Renewal. The plan covers an area of approximately 17 dunams and is located between HaGiborim, Herbert Samuel, Rothschild, and Echad Ha’Am streets.
As part of the plan, 755 new housing units will be constructed in 8 buildings ranging from 14 to 26 stories. Around 300 of the apartments will be designated as small units. Currently, the area contains about 55 apartments in ten old buildings, 4 to 9 stories high, which will be vacated for the project.
In addition to the residential units, the plan includes commercial and employment spaces, the addition of public spaces to be integrated into the new buildings, and the conversion of an existing parking lot into a public open space for the benefit of local residents. Rothschild Street is planned to be converted into a pedestrian-only zone, as part of an initiative to strengthen pedestrian traffic in the city center.
Another component of the plan is the preservation of the facades of some of the first houses built in Hadera, along with careful planning of the interface between the new and old construction, emphasizing the creation of a high-quality urban continuum.
Ronen Segal, District Planner for Haifa at the Planning Administration, said: “This is an important plan for the renewal of the city center. It combines the rehabilitation of the market, preservation of buildings, closure of a street to traffic - all while placing the pedestrian at the center. Hadera Municipality continues to lead district projects that strengthen the city and attract a younger population.”
According to Guri Nadler, Head of Planning at the Government Authority for Urban Renewal: “Downtown Hadera is very well suited for renewal, and the tools for advancing it are feasible evacuation-reconstruction complexes. The market complex is one of ten already in planning, and the approval of this plan could pave the way for other significant initiatives in the city.”
The plan was prepared by Oka–Orit Wilenberg and Keren Yedwab Architects Ltd.