"Jerusalem Has Become the Developers' Favorite City"
By Jacki Wiluzanski · · Updated · 2 min read
A local authority that treats developers positively is no trivial matter, and this is exactly what is happening in Jerusalem today.
Local authorities in Israel are traditionally seen, at least in the eyes of entrepreneurs, as one of the most significant obstacles on the road to completing real estate projects. Many developers run into a multitude of problems, failures and delays when working with one authority or another, and at the same time they are afraid to voice criticism, lest the authority "take revenge" on them later and make the road to a building permit even harder.
In this reality, it is rare to hear developers agree, by word of mouth, that a certain authority is doing its job well. In recent years, this is exactly the situation when it comes to the Jerusalem Municipality, and especially during the term of the current mayor, Moshe Leon, who is certainly hoping to be re-elected next October for another five years.
"The main thing you feel in Jerusalem is that there is a policy and, above all, that there is a decision from the top to encourage and help developers. This is the opposite of many other places in Israel," says Meir Simcha, Vice President of Engineering and Planning at Azorim. The company is currently building and planning around 1,500 housing units in the capital, in addition to commercial and employment areas, public areas, and more. "We have felt this mainly since Leon took office, and with him the city. Engineer Yoel Even is steering toward this goal. It spreads through all the departments."
"The municipality itself initiates round tables to understand what is happening," Simcha explains. "In every project there is a meeting every so often, to understand what has progressed and what is missing, and if there are obstacles, how to solve them. For my part, I also have to meet the targets and present them to the municipality. There is no other municipality in the country that works like this. Once you know how to work together, you get cooperation. Excellent work."
