Comments on: Welcome to Beersheva – Israel’s mall capital

By: Alexis

Alexis — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:29:26 +0000

i found your article on google….thanx!

By: shelly

shelly — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:13:16 +0000

I live in Be’er Sheva, and the current Negev Mall is not bigger than the mall in Herzeliya. But, apparently we will have the biggest mall soon. And the whole bit of strip malls going on for miles is a bit of an exaggeration. I love the shopping here, and I love Be’er Sheva, but this article is silly. Be’er Sheva may have a lot of shopping outlets, but they serve not only the residents of Be’er Sheva, but also people living in the smaller towns just outside. Be’er Sheva is of considerable distance from the center of Israel (which in comparison has FAR more malls and shopping outlets) so for people who live in Arad, Dimona, Netivot, Sderot, Hazerim, Yeruham, Ofakim, Lehavim, Rahat, Sde Boker, Meitar, and the plethora of kibbutzim in the south – places that many times don’t have shopping outlets or very few – having a nice shopping center is a very nice comfort.

By: Jodi Bodner

Jodi Bodner — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:31:17 +0000

The scores of restaurants, stores, and even malls that you see in Be’er Sheva, is exciting and shows the renaissance that is taking place in what was considered a “dusty town in the middle of nowhere.” More than $30 million has already been invested in a city that dates back to the time of Abraham, as part of Jewish National Fund’s Blueprint Negev campaign, an initiative to develop the Negev Desert in a sustainable manner and make it home to the next generation of Israel’s residents. For years Be’er Sheva was an economically depressed and forgotten city. Enough of a difference has been made to date that private developers have taken notice and begun to invest their own money. New apartment buildings have risen, with terraces facing the riverbed that in the past would have looked away. A slew of single family homes have sprung up, and more are planned. Attracted by the River Walk, the biggest mall in Israel and the first “green” one in the country is being built by The Lahav Group, a private enterprise, and will contribute to the city’s communal life. The old Turkish city is undergoing a renaissance, with gaslights flanking the refurbished cobblestone streets and new restaurants, galleries and stores opening. This year, the municipality of Be’er Sheva is investing millions of dollars to renovate the Old City streets and support weekly cultural events and activities and the Israeli government has just pledged nearly $40 million to the 1,700-acre Be’er Sheva River Park, a central park and waterfront district that JNF is building that is already transforming the city. JNF funds have:

• Removed tons of garbage from the riverbed which had been used as a dump;
• Built and opened 7 out 15 kilometers of the beautiful promenade;
• Reinforced the riverbanks to hold back the flood waters that rush through five days a year;
• Begun to renovate the historical site of Beit Eshel, an original Be’er Sheva outpost, which will bring to life and educate tourists about the War of Independence;
• Completed a recycled water system for park irrigation;
• Built Bell Park, the first central park in the city, with JNF Canada;
• Developed educational programs with three area schools through our partner; Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel;
• Developed a $4 million plan for the renovation and promotion of Abraham’s Well; funded by the estate of May Mann;
• Funded a feasibility study on bringing water to the river year-round;
• Planned the Pipes Bridge, which will disguise the water pipes used to funnel water into the city and create a scenic recreational spot ;
• Planned the 20-acre lake and 10,000-seat amphitheatre;
• Constructed the Lew Schepps Recognition Plaza that welcomes people into the park and recognizes Blueprint Negev donors;
• Started work on the Sam Delug Negev Information and Visitor’s Center in the Old City that will be the source for anyone looking to spend time in the Negev – tourists, schools, residents, and people looking for information about housing and employment;
• Hosted a Negev Nights Chanukah concert at the Be’er Sheva River Park for tens of thousands of young Israelis together with Hugey Sayarut, the Green Horizons Youth Leadership group.

By: leah tzeon

leah tzeon — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:43:37 +0000

I live in Beersheva–I think it’s the best city in the world, after Jerusalem of course. It’s a great place to live and to SHOP! The “old City” is also a great place to hang out and has a charm unmatched anywhere. You can call it dilapidated, if you want, but the way it is is just fine. It’s like our little secret we like to keep to ourselves. The city thrives, the people friendly, and the desert is lovely–wonderful evenings to sit under one’s palm and star gaze. Other cities are noisy, over crowded while we have the expanses of the desert to turn green on one hand and to build on the other. Why should anyone call building a waste of money when it produces a viable income for so many people.

By: Robert Weinraub

Robert Weinraub — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:36:54 +0000

It seems to me, that building malls is also something the israelis have to have like here in the states. In Miami we have three malls within a 5min radious, what for? Somebody has to build and somebody needs to put his shop there:Capitalism at its best. What they do need to learn in Israel is, that not everything coming from the US is good for them.

By: LB

LB — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 21:11:50 +0000

It seems like urban planners in Israel think malls are the way to greatness – Rishon L’Tzion also has a ridiculous number of malls (some of them right next to each other). However, the really big cities don’t really rely on malls – Jerusalem has Malcha, and Tel Aviv has Dizengoff – but the major commercial centers in those respective cities are not their malls.

By: dan

dan — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:19:09 +0000

It sounds like a waste of money to me, but I’m no city planner. Beersheva is not such a large city that would warrant two of the largest malls in Israel. I can’t imagine how both malls will be able to survive. Why not build it somewhere else where the population can support it? The high temperatures is making everyone a little meshugana.