A balanced response

February 4, 2011 - 1:30 PM by Brian Blum

Jerusalem Nature Museum

The battle between real estate developers and local activists advocating for green space and community gardens is never ending it seems in Jerusalem. As every remaining plot of open land gets snatched up, the resulting luxury apartment complexes are an increasing blight on the city, driving prices up and forcing young families out.

The latest battlefront is the site of the old Nature Museum in Jerusalem’s German Colony. In this case, though, the proposed development is not exclusive homes but Israel’s first liberal arts college run by the Shalem Center, a center-right leaning think tank.

Leaders at the Ginot HaIr Community Council, which represents the German Colony, have been pushing for the creation of a “Jerusalem Center for Green Living” on the plot, which includes the Nature Museum and a large but decrepit parking lot next door. But when Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat threw his support behind the Shalem Center, the Ginot HaIr representatives took a surprisingly pragmatic approach.

“Fundamentally, we support the concept of building an institution/campus on the parking lot and this is a better option than building 30/40 more ‘ghost’ apartments,” Tzurit Yair wrote in an email sent out to local residents following a meeting on the issue.

The operative argument here is that, if the plot is going to be developed (which makes sense: the buildings at the Nature Museum have long been neglected and the museum itself has moved to a new site near the Science Museum), a college would be a better fit than the aforementioned apartments which would undoubtedly be left empty the whole year except for the High Holidays and Passover when their owners make their annual pilgrimages to the Holy City.

The Ginot HaIr team has a number of relevant concerns, which it would like addressed before any plans are implemented. How large will the college be? How many students will attend? Can the neighborhood’s existing infrastructure handle the new institution? Will there be parking and will it be free (as it is now)? Can the building be constructed “green” and environmentally sustainable? Will the existing community garden (which has been lovingly nurtured over the last 10 years) be preserved as part of the campus?

Ginot HaIr emphasizes that it hasn’t given up on its Center for Green Living vision (and hopes that it could possibly even be combined with the Shalem Center college). Still, its balanced response lends hope that an equitable compromise can be worked out this time, rather than another pitched battle.

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