An initiative to change the purpose of the central station in Bat Galim

There are several buildings in Haifa that are "white elephants", standing for years without use or activity and creating a focus of neglect and sometimes also attracting all kinds of parties with unclear intentions. Among the buildings is what used to be the "reserve" at the entrance to the new rise at the beginning of Oren Street. In the distant past it was a restaurant and a place where small events were held for more than a decade, the place is desolate and neglected, and because it is a private property, nothing can be done.

Barbarossa Pub, near the Horev center, was burned or set on fire about 3 years ago and has not been renovated since then. But while the "reserve" is on an inner street and only those who enter the Romema neighborhood see the place, the burnt pub is on one of the busy roads in the city, and it is impossible not to see the hazard and the damage from the fire, which at the time seemed to be repaired within weeks or months, but over time it became clear There is currently no intention to renovate the property.

So many words have already been said about The casino in Bat Galim, which already seems unnecessary to mention, but the casino at the beginning of the Bat Galim Promenade is also in the hands of a private entrepreneur, who intended to turn the place into a hotel, but due to legal intervention, the construction did not start, apparently, and now we can only wait and see if the property will be sold to a body that wants to rehabilitate it or May it remain as it is for many years to come.

The Hapoel Pool stands abandoned in the Hadar neighborhood. As summer approaches, the question arises as to why there won't be a public pool in Hadar and the residents of the neighborhood won't have to travel outside the neighborhood to the Maccabi, Technion or Holmes Family pools in Neve Shanan. And every year we encounter the answer that the pool is not municipally owned, and the municipality has no possibility to renovate the pool and use it for the benefit of the residents.

When there is a municipal building and it is neglected and does not serve its purpose, the municipality can be demanded to take care of the property it owns, but what can be done when private hands own a large property and choose not to invest in it? A company or a private individual cannot be required to take care of the property for the most part, and this can be seen in several prominent properties in the city, one of which is the former central station in Bat Galim, which used to belong to Egged, but was sold years ago to the Netsaba company.

The case of the former central station of Egged in Bat Galim is different. First of all, it is a huge building, which served as a central station for urban and interurban Egged lines, and besides the bus lines, there were also many shops in it. For nearly 30 years, the central station was bustling with life (1974-2003) and then it was decided to build alternative central stations, the Gulf Central and the Hoof Carmel Central, and at the station in Bat Galim, several lines remained at first, and then not either.

Now the building is deserted and is not used for transportation or any other need. In the years when the building was used as a central station, it was cared for and maintained. The amount of people that passed through the central station every day was enormous and the owners of the shops and restaurants there benefited from this and also maintained the maintenance of the place. From the moment buses stopped visiting the central station, the place stopped being maintained and now it is dangerous to even walk around there. After the place stopped being used as a central station and was abandoned, everything that can be taken and has value was displaced from the place, and the former central station looks accordingly today. Today the building is actually in a state of skeleton, when all the finishing components that were inside it were destroyed.

It is important to understand that the former central station is located close to the Rambam Medical Center and a train station. The place itself has a lot of potential, because of its size and central location, and it can be converted into a shopping mall or offices. Without a doubt, the great neglect in the place now, the graffiti on the walls and the abandonment, create a hazard Very large in the heart of the city.

The central station complex is owned by the Netsaba company. In order for the complex to be restored and returned to be used by the residents of the city and it doesn't matter if as shops, offices or a hotel, a large financial investment is needed and the decision of the property owners to start a long process, at the end of which the building will be restored and will be well-kept and attractive and it doesn't matter in favor of which purpose.

One of the factors that will undoubtedly affect the nature of the restoration and renovation is the nearby train station. It is possible that it will become underground as part of the changes, which are going to be in the train lines and it is possible that it will even disappear, if it is decided to tunnel the train under Carmel (depending on the alternative you choose). If this happens, it will greatly affect the restoration of the building.

It should be noted that the outline plan of Haifa designates the area for businesses, which means that a hotel, offices or places of entertainment can be built on the station site. In order to make the change, it is necessary to change the purpose of the property, which is a process that usually takes a long time. What is important is that the intention is to rehabilitate the area and not allow the neglect and abandonment that exists today. In addition, the station is near the Rambam Medical Center and near the lower city, which is beginning to become an academic center. The station can also benefit from its proximity to the hospital and a part of it can also be converted after the change of designation to an academic center or a faculty or two of an academic center, the main part of which is located elsewhere.

The Netsaba company stated in response:

"The company is working to change the purpose of the property and improve it, in accordance with the outline plan of Haifa"