A mix of residential, commercial, office, tourism and leisure uses has become a hot trend.
The corona only strengthened the trend
EAST & TLV project of the Sofrin Weiss Group, Blue Square Real Estate and GF Real Estate
Photo:
Imaging: Evolve Media
Produced by the Department of Special Supplements
While most residents of the country stand in traffic every morning on the way to work, there are people whose work is within driving distance of an elevator.
The corona has already brought with it the work culture from home.
But what is expected to strengthen this year is what is known as the unfriendly mix of uses.
The corona has made the mix of uses a hot trend.
The Planning Administration in the Ministry of the Interior has now decided to encourage the conversion of offices into small apartments.
The Central District Committee will make it possible to establish housing in employment complexes in cities, provided that 20% of the apartments will be small, affordable apartments.
So what is a mix of uses?
A combination of residential apartments, commercial and recreational areas alongside areas used for offices or hotels in the same complex.
In English they say: Live-Work-Shop.
In the same complex of buildings you can live, work and buy.
According to a government plan, some of the offices will be converted into residences and will also become a mix of uses.
Want to stay up to date all the time?
Sign up now for the Real Estate Newsletter today
Talk real estate with Ofer Petersburg. Listen to the new podcast >>
The late veteran contractor Moshe Aviv tried this for the first time in Israel in Aviv Towers in Ramat Gan (the tallest in the country, 64 floors) - offices combined with high-rise housing.
The idea did not gain much popularity in the beginning.
In retrospect it can be said with confidence that he foresaw the future 30 years ahead.
Dafna Harlev is the owner and CEO of the Aviv Group and the daughter of Moshe Aviv.
"The motto is that the building's occupants want to feel at home, not part of the business area, so we built a separation between the two lobbyists," she says. "We designed the lobby in an intimate and homely way."
A new study by the Taub Center, conducted by Prof. Alex Weinreb and published about six months ago, predicts that by 2040 the population of Israel will have more than 13 million inhabitants.
This figure joins the data of the Central Bureau of Statistics, which predict that in less than 3 decades the population will number more than 15 million people and that 90% of the total population will live in cities.
In the absence of construction reserves, these gates are likely to be particularly crowded.
Connecting the tower to its surroundings
In urban renewal a mix of plant uses ranged from 2% in 2011-2015 to 18% today.
Haim Avitan, chairman of the Government Authority for Urban Renewal, notes: "As the density of construction increases and public transportation is not adapted to the growth rate of the population, it is necessary to create services within walking distance of the house."
Architect Avner Yashar, owner of Yashar Architects: "The need for mixed-use construction comes from a global reality of urbanization and urban density. The quality of life in the city is measured by the resident's ability to live, work, shop and spend his free time, all within walking distance."
According to Tzachi Sofrin, one of the owners of the Sofrin Group: "The new generation wants to live here and now and be able to do as much as possible in as little time as possible. This perception directly affects the living and work experience. Everyone wants to work and live in complexes. The greatest possibilities in the most accessible way. '
The more group is also active in projects based on a vision of LIVE, WORK, PLAY.
"The Corona has sharpened the need for an urban living environment, which harmoniously combines living alongside commercial, service and community areas within walking distance," emphasizes Hanan Moore, chairman of the group.
Danny Moore, CEO of Best Initiative of the Best Group: “In the past, we have planned new residential neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city, without commercial urban characteristics, such as cafes, cultural centers, entertainment and leisure.
Today, the neighborhood's attractiveness increases as it optimally combines residential, commercial, employment and public and community services.
The concept of neighborhood planning in a mixed-use model is already a binding requirement of planning bodies. '
Batya Mizrahi Eldad, VP of Marketing and Sales at Heavy Rain, who plans to mix uses at Ono Park in Or Yehuda, believes that apartment buyers better understand the ONE STOP SHOP advantage due to traffic restrictions during closures.
"The Corona has made another move, serving mainly investors in office space. Those who have been educated to purchase in the past year will see returns in the not-too-distant future."
In other words: the urban areas are no longer just residential areas, but an entire environment that surrounds its residents with all the infrastructure they need and enables the maintenance of a quality of life and a proper balance between work and leisure.
"Many municipalities put a lot of effort into proper planning, so as not to burden the infrastructure, prevent the aging of the population and attract young families," adds Danny Moore.
A spreading phenomenon
15 to 20 years ago it was hard to imagine people agreeing to live above a mall or shopping center.
The Israelis were afraid of the dirt, the smell and the amount of people walking around under their house.
At first they voted with their feet against the phenomenon of confusing residences and offices, but today we see many mixed-use projects even in peripheral cities in the north and south.
If something is good for Tel Aviv or Ramat Gan, why not also for Haifa, Jerusalem and Beer Sheva?
In fact, there is no escape from this in a country where the population is increasing, the stock of land is shrinking and the demand for office and commercial space is growing.
Building on a mix-and-match model is the ideal solution.
Fourth Wave Threats
The Corona epidemic and the restrictions on the radius of leaving the house imposed on Israelis will lead to an increase in demand for mixed-use projects.
When the fourth wave cloud of the corona plague is still threatening, despite the vaccines, Israelis understand that proximity to the supermarket, the cafe and the workplace is an expensive commodity, which promotes comfort and efficiency and improves the quality of life.
The problem is the trap of the municipalities.
The draft proposal of the Ministry of Finance in the recently formulated Arrangements Law speaks of a conversion of 35% and even 50% of office space for the purpose of increasing residential rights, out of a desire to incentivize developers to continue construction despite declining demand.
The proposal also states that the approval of the change in the plan will be under the authority of the local committee.
And the question arises - how can a local authority that is thirsty for business property tax objectively discuss an application to increase residential rights, which in fact constitute a loss for it?
It is hard to believe that the authorities will give up plans for the construction of office and commercial buildings that they have committed to, some even under the umbrella agreements.
The mix of uses in the new format should be based on a mix that will combine residential rights with office rights.
The future is already here
And what about the future?
"Plans for mixing uses are expected to expand in the coming years," says Vered Tzarfoni, a vice president at the French company Shimon and vice president of the Bunei Haaretz Association.
"The reason lies in the need to find cost-effective solutions for the use of urban space."
Roni Mizrahi, president of the Chamber of Contractors, suggested to the government that a public announcement be made: "It will be possible to incorporate small apartments in all the office buildings.
After all, there will be nothing to do with all the offices.
It is possible to slightly lower the property tax from the offices and convert it into small apartments for a classic mix of uses.
The problem is that everyone wants to enjoy the high property tax returns on offices. '
So where in the country are mixed-use projects currently being built and encouraged?
Jerusalem: Planning tradition
In the coming years, the mix of uses will be assimilated in Jerusalem at high intensities, with the approval of the municipality for a plan for the development of the city center.
The face of Jerusalem will change already at the entrance to the city, in a complex that combines housing, commerce and offices in towers that are erected in front of the nation's buildings, and will also include the co-living method (many common public areas for residence).
Another example: Africa Israel Residential VIEW Tower, facing Jaffa Street, includes a residential building with about 170 apartments, hanging gardens and three commercial floors, next to a new 9-story office building.
Tel Aviv: A bustling city
Almost all new high-rise construction in Tel Aviv today includes a mix of uses, especially along the Menachem Begin axis.
Starting with Azrieli's 92-story spiral house, which will be built on the site of Yedioth Ahronoth and combining hotels and offices, through the Midtown project of Israel Canada, which combines residences and offices, and ending with dozens of projects throughout the city.
The Sofrin Group, for example, is currently marketing and building the
East & TLV
project in
East
Tel Aviv (near Derech Hashalom), which contains residences and offices and is in very high demand, despite the corona period that brought the economy to a temporary slowdown.
Also in Kiryat Atidim in Ramat Hachayal, a mix of uses is planned in the Phoenix construction plan, which includes a 42-story office tower and two up-to-27-story residential buildings with 244 apartments, some for long-term rent.
Sagi Niv, CEO of Atidim Park Tel Aviv: "Proper mix of uses, when managed with the required balance, can create added value for each of the uses separately. The main idea is to produce living and breathing tissue in maximum hours of operation per day. In the office tower project, planned in the park on By the architect Moshe Tzur, we have combined a business hotel as well as a multi-purpose hall, which will be used for professional conferences during the day and cultural events in the evening. "
Rishon Lezion: A Thousand Good Reasons
In western Rishon Lezion, construction has already begun on the construction of the largest mixed-use complex in Israel.
The 1000 complex covers about 1,700 dunams and will include 1.75 million square meters for employment and trade for about 100,000 employees, 5,500 apartments and 120 dunams of parks. Some of the largest companies in Israel have already been integrated here, including Phoenix, Discount, Rogovin, Praszkowski, Besser, Amot, Jtlv2 and more.
In fact, a new metropolitan city is being established with 100,000 people working in it, more than 22,000 people living in 5,500 housing units, including student dormitories and sheltered housing. For the first time in Israel, tens of thousands of people will be able to live and work in the same place.
Praszkowski will build a 22-story tower complex with a commercial plaza and an underground parking lot, which will be built on 9 dunams of land at an estimated cost of NIS 480 million.
The company intends to build a long-term residential complex for mixed use.
"The business center of the 1000 complex sets new standards in transportation solutions and public space planning, and many companies see it as an alternative to Tel Aviv," says Haim Karadi, CEO of Praszkowski Yields.
The Besser Group is also setting up an office complex, which is currently being marketed.
Besser 1K are two office towers and a 3-story building with a commercial square in the center.
Zrifin: Mythological change
The old Zrifin camp underwent a metamorphosis.
The completion of his evacuation made it possible during the past year to begin work in the field.
The master plan for the complex is intended to establish 1.5 million square meters of residential, commercial and employment space in the Zrifin area in the coming years, which will make it the largest employment and residential area in the Gush Dan. Yaakov (76%) and Rishon Lezion (24%).
Along with the development of urban infrastructure, a new employment and commercial area combined with housing is expected to be established, which will constitute the city's new city center and will include a mix of residential, commercial, public and employment use.
The first project in the Zrifin complex will be launched in the coming months by real estate developer Ayala Agam, and it includes two 17-story office towers, with commercial space on the ground floor.
According to Eitan Levy and Jackie Suissa, owners of Ayala Agam: "In a few years, the entire area will look completely different. As there has been a significant increase in value in places like the Einav complex in Modi'in and the science park in Ness Ziona, we expect this to happen in this complex in Beer Yaakov."
Intelligence: The beating heart
Modiin was able to adapt to the global trend and established the new business, leisure and entertainment boulevard, with the encouragement of the mayor, Haim Bibbs.
Like other major city centers in Israel and around the world, the new center is designed to be accessible and convenient for walking and will become a beating heart 24 hours a day.
The boulevard enjoys a young and vibrant atmosphere and includes a variety of mixed uses throughout: residential, office, commercial, recreation, cultural and government institutions, green spaces, playgrounds, bike paths and more.
"Mixing uses is the hottest concept in the field of planning in Israel and in the world, and we strongly believe in this direction," says Dan Gingis, VP of Marketing and Sales at Africa Israel Residences. An example is the Savyonim Boulevard project in Modiin, which has 196 housing units in 13 Benny Boutique buildings. 5 floors.
Ramat Efal, Ramat Gan: Infrastructure Network
Recently, a plan was submitted by Shikun VeBinui for the construction of about 4,000 housing units south of Ramat Efal in a huge mix of employment and residential uses. The plan covers about 315 dunams and is located in the agricultural area south of Ramat Efal, north of Road 461 and east of Road 4.
The new residential neighborhood will include about 2,500 housing units, in a combination of textured and high-rise construction, about 900 special housing units, about 380 housing units for affordable housing and extensive areas that will be defined for the public. Along the southwest wall, a strip of employment areas is proposed. And a trade of approximately 270,000 square meters, which will be a continuation of the approved employment area along Road 461.
Tamir Cohen, chairman of Shikun VeBinui, said that depositing the plan is a significant step in the development of a huge project in Ramat Efal.
"The company invests a lot of resources in accelerating the project, with an emphasis on optimal accessibility, mix of uses, architectural quality and green construction."
Lod: Renewal with a train
A classic example of mixing uses in urban renewal can be found in the Hermon-Gilboa complex.
Rothstein's plan includes 467 housing units in 10- to 24-story residential buildings in the process of evacuation-construction, along with about 4,500 square meters for public areas, 1,960 square meters for commercial areas with the option to convert 50% of them into employment and about 4 A dunam of open space, and bicycle paths and pedestrian paths will be built as part of the plan, which will connect the new complex to the rest of the city.
The mayor of Lod, Adv. Yair Revivo: "This is another step in the leap of the city.
Almost simultaneously, we launched the new train station and the Hermon-Gilboa program, two events that are interconnected.
The old and new residents will enjoy a renewed living environment and access to employment and commerce. "
Ashdod: At the center of things
The Ashdod Municipality is planning a mixed-use complex, which will bring a row to the city's young people in the 13th district: 4 22-story towers each, 440 apartments, which will be built over 6 floors, intended for commerce, employment, public services and residential construction.
A older one is the Damari Tower project, which is being established in the YH Damari company.
The project combines a concept of residential and leisure and includes a 32-story residential tower above a 7-story office building above a commercial floor, with a semi-Olympic pool and a spa complex.
Amir Cohen, VP of Marketing at YH Damari: "Following the corona, more emphasis was placed on the possibility of working, shopping and spending time in a radius close to the residential apartment."
Be'er Sheva: Main artery
The commercial complex in the Azorim project, the block, includes 1,800 square meters and a separate underground parking for the customers. The complex has recently been inhabited.
The block enjoys a unique and central location on Reger Boulevard, within walking distance of Soroka Hospital and Ben Gurion University.
This is one of the only projects in the area under modern construction, built as a complex that includes a mix of residential and commercial uses in relatively low-rise construction of 8-9 floors.
Ramat Gan: Yield for residents
The TASE Triangle Tender in the heart of the TASE complex in Ramat Gan will be a national model for mixing uses.
The unique project combines 400 housing units for long-term rent, 350 housing units, dormitories, employment and commercial areas and extensive public areas, all with an intensive mix of uses.
Not far away, a lower-level casting event was recently held for the Migdal Elite Utilization project in Ramat Gan, which is being established in cooperation with the Azorim company and the Migdal insurance company.
Elite Tower will combine a building intended for employment and commerce and another residential building.
The mayor of Ramat Gan, Carmel Shama HaCohen, announced that "the towers will combine residential areas with office buildings and thus generate a return for the residents. The property tax from the businesses will be channeled to the public coffers and used to develop infrastructure, education and urban renewal."
Raanana: Studio apartments instead of offices
The mayor of Raanana, Haim Broida, is currently working to implement a mixed-use model in Kiryat Etgarim, the commercial and high-tech area of the city, so that it will also include residential complexes for young people, shops, cafes and places of entertainment.
Broida works with the existing office owners in Kiryat Etgarim in order to convert, at a relatively low cost, some of the offices that have been vacated into studio apartments, for an audience of students and young people, at prices they can afford.
"We are currently negotiating with a number of developers who plan to build commercial and industrial buildings in the city, please incorporate such construction solutions already at the planning stage," Broida announced.
"This is a solution for commercial real estate damaged by the corona and also aiding young people."
Tirat Carmel: All in one station
Shitit and Piedmont Enterprises will establish the largest business and commercial complex in Tirat Carmel, with a total investment of approximately NIS 290 million.
The complex at the northern entrance will cover about 12 dunams, with 3 buildings and about 50,000 square meters of offices, residences and commerce. The goal is to address all the needs of the complex's employees and residents around it. 180 apartments are planned in a unique 33-story residential tower.
Shalom Sheetrit, CEO and owner of a drinking company: "I'm sure this is one of the projects that will change the face of the area.
The rapid growth in the population has led us to recognize that this is the next thing the area needs. "
Produced by the Department of Special Supplements
