Hadar in Haifa: Will we get to see the neighborhood where it was in its prime?

(live here in splendor) - Over the years, Haifa's mayors often spoke of their affinity for Hadar and the desire to see the neighborhood return to its heyday as one of the bustling centers of the city. In practice, although various initiatives have taken place from time to time to restore the glory to the glory, it is difficult to say that these have brought about a fundamental change in it and much more work is required for this.

There is no doubt that the flourishing of the Talpiot market and the structure of the market itself have brought about a certain change, but at the same time, there are still many parts of the neighborhood (which is actually a district) that need a loving and oriented hand. We spoke with the member of the council and the chairman of the board of the Hadar community, Adv. Inbal Beit Halami Rivan, about the actions that have already been taken and those that will take place in the Hadar neighborhood.

What were your first steps as chairman of the Hadar community board of directors?

"We took office in April and since then I have been studying the neighborhood and the activities of the community center. I have conducted tours, met with residents of the neighborhood and the Hadar council, who know the problems of the neighborhood. As far as the Hadar community center is concerned, I have met with those in charge and in particular with the excellent CEO, Yoav Yigol, and I got to know for activities, both those done in the past and those planned for the near and distant future.

In the first phase, we dealt with the most burning issues - the subject of the annual budget and the necessary adjustments, issues related to education for the upcoming school year (such as encouraging enrollment in kindergartens and preventing their closure, and in relation to the decision made during the outgoing mayor's term - to cancel "automatic" discounts for after-school programs, creating an easier procedure for enrollment for after-hours and receiving discounts for those who are eligible, making information accessible to underprivileged populations and more). We worked a lot with the head of education in the municipality, Ilana Truk, and received a lot of assistance from the deputy mayors, Sharit Golan and Yossi Shalom.

In addition, a meeting was held with the principal of the Leo-Bek Elementary School and following the issues raised there, a tour of the school area was conducted with the participation of relevant municipal officials, in order to address transportation, safety and parking issues. There is a lot of community activity going on in the neighborhood that includes great initiatives, such as the beautiful yard competition that took place not long ago and the activity of the student village, activities that must be continued and nurtured. Investment in the neighborhood is required, along with maintaining its beauty. There is a population in Hadar that loves the neighborhood, wants to stay there and doesn't see itself living in any neighborhood other than this one."

What challenges do you face in the neighborhood?

"We can talk about a number of fundamental problems that could lead, among other things, to the departure of residents. The Hadar neighborhood is at a crossroads. First, the issue of personal safety. It is very important to emphasize that the problem of crime does not only exist in the Hadar district. At the same time, there is quite a lot in Hadar Vandalism and criminal activity, such as drug dealing, violence, especially at night. No parent wants their child to leave the house and encounter drug dealing in the stairwell. The fact that there is no sense of personal security is of course very problematic and affects the decision whether to raise children in the neighborhood or not.

For example, there are students in the student village, who live in Hadar during their degree studies, and we want to keep them in Hadar even after they finish their degree, but we have seen that at the stage of starting a family, most of them do not stay in Hadar, mainly due to the lack of personal security and due to a lack of quality educational frameworks. There is one state elementary school in the district and few frameworks that are active in the afternoons that can prevent children from wandering the streets. Until the age of 6, many of the children are in private settings and not in a municipal setting. In some private settings, the Hebrew language is not taught, and then we end up in a situation where a child reaches the first grade, when he does not know a word of Hebrew. This is a very problematic situation and there is no need to explain why."

What educational institutions exist in the neighborhood?

"As I mentioned, in the entire district there is only one elementary school, which is located in the upper part, so also in the last few years after-school programs have been opened. The neighborhood does not have a sufficient amount of play facilities, or places for employment and play in the afternoon and there is no center for young parents. A quality educational system that is adapted to its needs is required And for the characteristics of the diverse population here, which lives together and at the same time seeks to maintain its uniqueness. The establishment of a system that will respond to these needs, will ensure the residents of the neighborhood will also be a focal point of attraction for parents from other neighborhoods. If, for example, there is a desire to develop or expand the model With this, it is possible, for example, to produce lip gardens adapted to more diverse immigrant populations, which will also encourage them to integrate into the municipal system."

What other areas have you identified that need treatment in the neighborhood?

"There is a need for the development of business, culture and tourism in Hadar. We would like to revive the business centers of the neighborhood. For example, there are moves to develop a complex that starts at the Haifa Theater and Gan Binyamin, through the Nordau Promenade to the Cinema House. There is a resurgence of business in the Nordau Promenade, and similar to what is happening in Talfiot, It is important that the municipality not be left behind and give support to these moves, in a way that also matches the character of the district. We want those who come to the theater to want to visit the nearby streets and be able to enjoy the existing businesses, and not to see a show and immediately get in the car and move on. I believe that such a project should be carried out within Dialogue with the residents of the neighborhood."

Is it possible to carry out an evacuation-construction in the neighborhood?

"This is a problematic issue, because in the district there are many buildings for conservation, so only in certain areas will it be possible to carry out, for example, high-rise construction. In order to build in the neighborhood under the existing conditions, or even to renovate existing buildings, it is necessary to create incentives. In this context, headquarters work is done by Engineering Administration.

This year we are also dealing with the complex budgetary situation of the municipality and the horizontal rationing that was carried out, therefore the challenge is to produce projects that do not require a significant budget, or those that will generate money without requiring a lot of investment. For example, we are looking at how to maximize the use of the amazing building at 15 Tiberia Street, so that it will be possible to hold events and classes on a much larger scale.

These days, an extensive project to renovate the extension of the Hadar Community Center on Shiloh Street is scheduled to begin, and work has also begun on the Kalor Center, which will include dormitories and kindergartens and a center for children and youth that will be operated by the Hadar community."

What is your vision for Hadar?

"Hadar is a district that includes about 40 residents in the heart of the city of Haifa. Hadar needs to be brought back to the heart of the public debate in Haifa and that the city leaders give the district special attention. Action is required on all levels for Hadar to rise and prosper. There are immediate actions that can be taken to improve its quality Life, along with long-term plans that need to be implemented, is a neighborhood with charm and potential, and I believe that if Hadar flourishes, it will have an impact on the entire city. But this is not an impossible task."

Are there other organizations that work together with you?

"I maintain contact with many officials in the municipality and also with other municipal corporations. I am a member of the boards of both the Haifa Theater and the Authority for Immigrant Absorption. There is an interface between the corporations and their activities and the Hadar district and the population that lives there, and joint initiatives need to be created for the benefit of the residents of Hadar.

I am in contact with the deputy mayors, in particular with Sarit Golan Steinberg, who is very committed to Hadar and sees the potential in her. I am also in contact with business licensing, with Tzachi Tarno, who currently serves as a project manager under the municipality's CEO, and there is a great deal of willingness and ideas. We are also active in matters related to personal security, through those dealing with the issue at the Haifa Municipality, and through direct meetings with police and policing officials regarding the specific problems of As far as crime is concerned, it is also clear that when the movement returns to the streets, it will push the crime out. Therefore, the handling of all issues should be done in a coordinated way. We also cooperate with the Haifa Police Department, who show a great desire and willingness to help in the development of business and tourism.

The rehabilitation of Talpiot market

"The Talfiot market building has been under renovation in recent years. Until now, the entrance floor of the building has been renovated, when only recently the merchants moved from the 1st floor to the renovated entrance floor, in order to be able to start the renovation of the 1st floor. In fact, the general public can enter the building and see for themselves the beginning of the restoration. The ambition is that when the entire building is restored and renovated, customers will be able to come in and enjoy a much more pleasant and inviting shopping experience, something that will attract a wider audience of buyers to the Talfiot market, and in general, to the entire neighborhood."

Hundreds of buildings in Hadar entered the conservation list

MM and Deputy Mayor of Haifa and Chairman of the Conservation Committee, His father Han, he also believes that Hadar must be developed, along with maintaining its uniqueness. At the conservation committee meeting chaired by him, 253 buildings in the neighborhood were added to the conservation list of the city of Haifa. "This is important news for a city that maintains its important architectural and historical values," Hahn said. "I would like to thank the professional team of the conservation department and the architects who worked on the work. This is a survey of two areas in the Hadar neighborhood, prepared by the architects Amir Freundlich and Ruthi Liberty."

Hahn further adds: "The buildings were defined according to different conservation levels and entered into the list. This is a very significant event for the preservation of the architectural and historical values ​​of the city, from the understanding of their meaning, in order to attract tourism and also lead to the expansion of the economy. Among the goals is the need to preserve history and at the same time create planning certainty for developers and contractors, who would know about each and every building what its level of preservation is, and accordingly, be able to plan in terms of the planning aspects of that building."

Han wants to emphasize the magnitude of the good news for the residents of Haifa: "This is the first survey of 6 additional surveys that we are expected to approve in the coming months, which will be a platform for the rest of the way and the preparation of a conservation plan for different areas in the city of Haifa."