The discourse surrounding the events of the 2023 State Cup, which will culminate tonight (Thursday, 20:45) in the final between Hapoel Jerusalem and Maccabi Tel Aviv, was somewhat strange this time.
The fans, the clubs, the management of the basketball association, and we, the journalists, almost completely ignored the identity of the participants - and dealt mainly with real estate. That is, with the question of where the games would be held. Summary of events: the association made a principled decision
to hold the trophy week in the arena, and was alarmed by the price that had to be paid; announced following The same goes for moving the semifinals and finals to Holon; the next day he reached a settlement and returned to Jerusalem; the court was required to deal with the issue and was asked to overturn the decision; until less than two weeks ago, there was still someone who tried to make a last-minute change. For the residents of the capital, or at least the consumers of sports in it, the
debate Hafis Arena comes as no surprise. Although it is the largest hall in Israel, which will only celebrate its tenth anniversary in a year and a half, it has already managed to turn an address without many complaints when it comes to the experience of viewing and consuming it.
In recent months, the Jerusalem fans' complaints against the managers of their team's home hall have increased, and a direct dialogue between the parties has even begun - with the intervention of the club;
In addition to the meetings that took place, a center was even opened on WhatsApp that centers the many grievances in real time.
Some of the problems are rooted in objective difficulties, and other parts require immediate improvement, care and response.
For the purpose of presenting the failures and problems, the Ariel company (which is in charge of managing the arena, the nearby Teddy Stadium and the Sultan's pool) addressed our request for each of the burning issues, and the full picture is presented before you.
Did you survive the traffic jams?
Good luck with the parking.
A picture of the situation outside the arena on the evening of the semi-finals, this week (photo: Danny Maron)
Similar content near Eliyahu, in an area 2.5 times larger
The main factor in the mess around hosting the cup week was money.
The union was surprised when they were presented with the price offer, which was about NIS 350,000, while they were asked to pay a much lower amount in the 2019 final, the previous one that was held there.
The natural alternative - moving to the Menorah Motvethim Hall in Tel Aviv - was not relevant, because it was occupied ahead of time by a musical performance that would take place there this evening.
The arena, due to the way it was built, is not a profitable place.
In fact, the Jerusalem municipality has to subsidize its existence every year, so that it does not run into a deficit.
The reason for this is objective: it is a hall that spreads over 47,000 square meters, two and a half times as much as Mied Eliyahu, which contains a similar number of seats (about 11,000). Because of this, there is a need for increased security and ushering forces, and when you add to that the fact that the complex currently only has Three businesses (two cafes and a convenience store) - compared to more than ten restaurants and shops in the commercial complex around the Tel Aviv Hall - the possibility of generating additional income is also completely limited. One of the professionals in the city said this simply this week: "The arena is big on Jerusalem." Company
response Ariel:
"The Lottery Arena is the largest and most advanced basketball and culture hall in Israel, and every year about 400 thousand people visit it. We invest a lot of resources and efforts in the operation and ongoing maintenance of the hall, which hosts dozens of diverse and different events, sometimes at extremely short intervals, which requires intensive operational activities, in setting up and dismantling around the clock, in order to provide an optimal response to every event. We are constantly working to upgrade and develop the arena alongside ongoing troubleshooting and follow-up."
Whatsapp center with Ariel company.
Hapoel Jerusalem fans in the arena (photo: Barney Ardov)
At least you won't receive reports (for now)
The Arena, one of the newest facilities in Israel, holds the all-time record for spectators for a basketball game in the Premier League - 11,113 - and despite its proximity to Teddy, it has never had its own parking lot.
Anyone who gets stuck with his car in the hours of darkness on Derech David in Nevanishti, will discover an unusual sight: the traffic islands and milestones on both sides of the road will be completely hidden by parked cars, in violation of the law.
The Jerusalem Municipality will not admit this officially and publicly, but at least based on personal experience, it seems that the inspectors are aware of the problem and refrain from pasting parking tickets. This is in contrast to what happens in Tel Aviv: everyone who comes to Yad Eliyahu Euroleague games on Thursdays knows that despite the enormous difficulty in obtaining Parking around the hall, anyone who parks their car illegally will find a charge notice on the wiper when they return from the game.
On the one hand, it is about some of the decrees of fate that the citizens of Israel are experiencing these days;
As part of the development works of the light rail and the cancellation of the train station in Malha, getting to the hall became a difficult and complex task, as well as to other places.
The parking is only the latest problem that the spectators encounter, after surviving huge traffic jams already at the exit from Derech Begin.
In 2014, when the arena was just opened, the two large Teddy's parking lots were available to the spectators.
However, during games that draw crowds, the police confiscate a large part of the parking lot for security and safety needs, and two-thirds of the parking lot that was near the west stand in the stadium was "cut off".
Those who insist on parking legally, are forced to drive as far as Beit Tzafa or into the Katamoun neighborhood.
On the other hand, it wasn't meant to be.
The official announcement about the opening of the hall states that "Further on, the area between the hall and Teddy Stadium will be prepared and will include an underground parking lot with 1,700 parking spaces. Above it will be built a hospitality village for athletes that will include a hotel with 240 rooms, and a commercial complex in the form of a 'power center' and offices with a built-up area of approximately 16,000 It was written, it was promised - and since then nothing has been done.
Imagine an evening when the Arena and Teddy will host parallel games (Photo: Arnon Bosani)
Nor will it be done, in all likelihood, in regards to the transportation aspect.
Beneath the arena floor lies a ghost town: a basement floor eight and a half meters high, the width and length of the lot above it, and where it was possible - with proper planning and appropriate budgeting - to pave and build in advance the requested parking lot.
Last month, the Finance Committee of the Jerusalem Municipality received approval for a project costing NIS 6.8 million, under which the underground space will be used to build another basketball hall and 300 viewing seats around it, for low-profile training and games.
The Ministry of Culture and Sports will finance 80 percent of the cost.
To get to the games comfortably, fans will be asked to rely on public transportation.
Not sure that this is bad: according to the plan, a light rail station should be opened next year next to the complex.
Ariel's response:
"As part of the transportation and commercial development revolution that Kiryat Ha'Sport is undergoing, during the next year the light rail is expected to reach the entrance of the Arena and Teddy, significantly upgrading the arrival and departure experience of the many fans from all over the country, while encouraging the use of public transportation, similar to driving in large stadiums in Europe. "
Metava Due to the railway infrastructure works being carried out in the entire area, the number of parking spaces has been reduced, but it is worth emphasizing that regulated parking lots are available to the fans, such as the Geti parking lot which is within walking distance. For games with large crowds, such as tonight's cup final, we provide additional parking lots in the area and an array of free shuttles."
400 thousand visitors a year, not only for basketball, but the area is too big.
Ice skating in the arena (photo: Arnon Bosani)
Improvement in the level of services
Even in the level of ongoing maintenance, quite a few problems were discovered, which are not suitable for a modern hall.
Here is a collection of the complaints voiced by quite a few fans who visited the venue: many restrooms remained locked during events and games - and some of those that were open turned out to be dirty;
Many encountered a shortage of toilet paper, weak water flow in the sinks, and stuck or broken doors.
Faucets were installed in the corridors, but in many cases they remained closed.
Since the opening of the arena, the phenomenon of water leaking from the roof has become a routine matter, and visitors to the place have encountered it every winter;
On the floor itself, and also in the stands, in the corridors, in the guest rooms and in the various spaces.
It is doubtful that at the grand opening of the facility, anyone imagined that puddles and buckets would be part of the scenery in the closed hall.
A tour we held this week, on the evening of the semi-finals, brought up a much more encouraging picture: a cleaning worker was attached to every bathroom or two, to ensure that the sanitary and hygienic conditions remained at an adequate level.
In Jerusalem they are building on the arrival of the scouts by light rail.
Next year it should be possible (Photo: Flash 90, Olivier Fitosi)
can anyone hear me
In addition, Jerusalem fans have also complained over the years about poor acoustics that are not compatible with a hall that was designed and built in the 21st century.
This week, on the eve of the semi-finals, new speakers were installed in the ceiling of the arena to improve the acoustics and the opposite problem arose;
Complaints were again received, this time about excessive volume and decibels contrary to the regulations coming out of the amplification system.
The management of the club received many complaints about the functioning of the buffets.
In many cases, long lines formed, when the menu offered to the spectators was also poor.
In some cafeterias it was not possible to pay in cash or by credit card, but only through an applet;
Comedian Hanoch Daum, a Hapoel Jerusalem fan, even devoted an entire section in his latest book to the illusory situation in which he wanted to buy just a glass of drink, and was delayed for long minutes because he was not allowed to pay normally.
In the meantime, the problem has been solved, and the buffets have been connected to the Internet so that they can charge by credit.
Ariel's response:
"As early as next month, a new operator will enter the buffets in the arena, who will provide the spectators with a wide, rich and high-quality variety of products and will upgrade the shopping experience in the hall. It is important to emphasize that even today you can pay by credit card and cash. "On the topic of acoustics, we hired the services of
Roger Darcy, an international acoustics consultant, specializing in large sports and cultural halls in the world.
He accompanies the entire process of improving the acoustics in the arena, including professional construction in a tender that should be published soon.
"Recently, a state-of-the-art entrance control system for shows and events was installed in the hall, as well as an advanced LED lighting system, and infrastructure and systems were upgraded, including the cameras. During 2022, Ariel occupied all the commercial areas on the entrance floor, and soon an event hall or restaurant will be built on the upper floor of the hall, for the convenience of the Arena Island and the residents of the city." .
The Hapoel Jerusalem responded:
"The club works closely with the Ariel company and in full cooperation with the arena employees. We are sure that Ariel, as well as the Jerusalem Municipality, understand the importance of a high-quality, functional arena that gives the residents of Jerusalem and guests the best experience every visit. On our side, we have taken several steps in the past year In order to improve the viewing experience in the arena - mainly through a WhatsApp center shared by Hapoel and Ariel, where fans are invited to report malfunctions in real time - and the response is immediate. We trust the managers at Ariel to know how to respond to all the challenges described in the article."
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