Thousands of hi-tech jobs coming to Jerusalem with First Station expansion
The plan is one of three proposals approved by the municipality, adding housing and hotel units as well as expanded retail and commerce options to the surrounding areas.
By ZACHARY KEYSERMargalit Startup City founder and chairman Erel Margalit pictured next to Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion in front of the Margalit Startup City Jerusalem offices.(photo credit: RIKI RACHMAN)
Thousands of new hi-tech jobs are slated to come to Jerusalem after the Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee approved plans to create a complex fostering start-up and innovation projects in the areas surrounding Jerusalem's First Station.The new structures will expand upon the existing Margalit Startup City Jerusalem offices, and will incorporate an urban mix of housing units, commercial real estate offices and retail options to blend into the city surroundings.The plan is one of three proposals approved by the municipality, adding housing and hotel units as well as expanded retail and commerce options to the surrounding areas, stretching across 1.7 hectares.Margalit Startup City expansion to Jerusalem's First Station. (Margalit Startup City)"It is precisely in these difficult times, more than ever, that Jerusalem needs to build itself for the new world after the economic and social crisis. Innovation is the key to rebuilding cities," said Margalit Startup City founder and chairman Erel Margalit.The design, commissioned to architects Mandy Rosenfeld and Peter Bohlin, will be in the form of an urban campus intended to integrate into the surrounding public spaces, and will feature open courtyards and cafés to create an inviting atmosphere for the public.The plans also include the construction of 200 residential units and 4,000 square meters of commercial office space. An additional 7,500 square meters will be allocated for educational institutions, such as a national headquarters for pre-IDF service programs.Building upon the existing atmosphere of First Station, the Margalit Startup City expansion will also feature live music, restaurants and other forms of entertainment for its guests. The existing complex is based in the Old Mandate Printing House adjacent to the First Station.Margalit Startup City expansion to Jerusalem's First Station. (Margalit Startup City)
