Holon: Tel Aviv’s special satellite

The existence of a vast industrial park in Holon influences the city’s residential real-estate scene and its future demographic mix.

By JOHN BENZAQUEN
Holon’s Shimon Peres Park (photo credit: Courtesy)
Holon’s Shimon Peres Park
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Holon is one of the urban entities founded in the 1930s around Tel Aviv. It was in essence a satellite of Tel Aviv, but it was a unique satellite – because it was built as an industrial town by Jewish immigrants from Lodz.
Lodz was the industrial center of prewar Poland and was dubbed the Manchester of Poland (Manchester being the center of European textile manufacturing). Many of its factories were textile plants owned by Polish Jews.
With the rise of anti-Semitism in Poland, there were plans to transfer some of those plants to what was then Palestine, and the sands southeast of the White City were chosen as the new Lodz.
The first and only Polish textile plant to be set up in Israel was in Holon, and it was called Lodzia. Today the area around the old Lodzia plant has expanded considerably and is now the largest industrial area in Israel after Haifa; its land is set to become the second-largest Azrieli compound in Israel, after the one in Tel Aviv. Now undergoing construction, the 35,000-square-meter (3.5-hectare) compound will have a built-up area that will include a shopping center and a supermarket. There will also be offices spread over 12 floors.
The existence of a vast industrial park in Holon has no direct influence on the residential real estate prices in the city, but it does influence the city’s residential real-estate scene and its future demographic mix.
The industrial park is an important source of employment. With traffic jams being a reality in the Gush Dan region, a workplace near home is a very big advantage. That there are plenty of job opportunities increases the city’s appeal as a place of residence, which strengthens demand for real estate.
Holon is not a high-end city; from its inception, it was a city of the working man. Thus, prices have always been much lower than in neighboring Tel Aviv.
The industrial park is set to become a large science-oriented hub, with enterprises in biotechnology, medical devices and nanotechnology. Such companies pay high salaries and might attract yuppies and other relatively high-income families and individuals, possibly having a bearing on commerce and on residential standards.
Hila Pez, marketing manager of the Bonei Tichon construction and development company, told Metro: “We are very upbeat about Holon. There is an abundance of land for building, it is near Tel Aviv and it is a pleasant place to live in.
“We are in the process of completing a project of two residential tower buildings, both 24 stories high with 88 apartments, in the 501 Het neighborhood. The Sport Top tower is already completed; Towers on the Avenue still has availability.
Holon is growing; according to Mayor Moti Sasson, the population will soon rise by 50,000 to 250,000.
“Since I became mayor over 20 years ago, I have concentrated on making Holon a better place to live in,” he asserted. “I am certain that newcomers with families will find Holon an excellent place in which to live.
“My administration has made it a point to make Holon a place where the well-being and safety of our children is the first priority. We have an excellent educational system; the Education Ministry finances the educational network, but the municipality spends another NIS 100 million to make it exceptional.”
The municipality also spends NIS 70m. annually on cultural and athletic communal pursuits such as community centers, culture and sport centers, which are mainly used by schoolchildren. Holon has a well-regarded museum scene that includes the Design Museum and a children’s museum; there is also a water park and spacious recreational areas.
The real-estate market in Holon is in pretty good shape, said Gali Shamir of RE/MAX’s Holon and Bat Yam branch. “The city’s real-estate market has improved considerably compared to the last two years. Demand has grown substantially, and there is sufficient supply; since the market is practically balanced, prices have remained steady, with a tendency to creep up.”
As such, prices in Holon are still higher by about 10-15 percent than in neighboring Bat Yam but still much lower than in neighboring Tel Aviv.
In less well-favored areas like Jesse Cohen and Tel Giborim, a three-room apartment can cost from NIS 800,000 to NIS 900,000.
More well-favored areas include Agrobank, Het 300 and Het 500. An average four-room apartment in Agrobank costs NIS 1.8m., while a rooftop five-room dwelling costs NIS 2.1m. In Het 300 and Het 500, a five-room apartment averages NIS 2.3m., while a penthouse goes for NIS 3.25m.
In the city center, a three-room apartment can cost NIS 1m., a four-room unit NIS 1.35m. and a rooftop dwelling NIS 1.7m.


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