February 10, 2020

Dismantling of Sde Dov airport completed

Globes, Arik Mirovsky, 10.02.2020

The Ministry of Defense logistics, operations, and properties vision, which is leading the plan to dismantle and market the land of military bases, and the Ministry of Defense engineering and construction department have completed the dismantling and clearing of Tel Aviv's Sde Dov Airport. The airport operated from September 1938 until July 2019. Sde Dov, which covers 750 187.5 acres, was used as a civilian and military airport until it was closed down six months ago. 16,000 housing units will be built on the site.

In order to build the neighborhood, it was necessary to demolish the many airport facilities on the site. The Ministry of Defense engineering and construction department removed over 500,000 square meters of military buildings, airport hangars, fences, asphalt surfaces, concrete surfaces, and a 1,741-meter runway. 2,500 square meters of perimeter fences were also dismantled. The control tower was marked for preservation, and will be left as a public space in the future residential neighborhood to be built. The IDF logistics, operations, and properties division will deliver the vacated land to Israel Land Authority under the Shoham agreement for the removal and transfer of IDF camps from city centers, after which the land will be marketed for construction of thousands of housing units and commercial space.

Logistics, operations, and properties head Nati Efrati said, "The dismantling of Sde Dov Airport is a key milestone in the implementation of the government decision and the Shoham plan (marketing and transferring camps) for taking IDF camps out of city centers. We are continuing the work of removing additional centrally located camps, including Tzrifin, Tel Hashomer, and others. In the coming years, we will clear thousands of acres more for construction of tens of thousands of housing units and millions of square meters of commercial and industrial space."

Engineering and construction department head Erez Cohen said, "Ever since it received the job from the government, the department has worked around the clock with professional removal contractors and dozens of pieces of engineering equipment to complete the necessary removal, while preserving the historical control tower. The work was done quickly, with sensitivity, determination, and consideration for the residents of the nearby neighborhoods, in order to meet the timetables."

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on February 10, 2020