ARYEH RAZIEL
Jerusalem Post
11-24-2000
Headline: Nation's largest hoops arena taking shape in capital
Byline: ARYEH RAZIEL
Edition; Daily
Section: Sports
Page: 21
Friday, November 24, 2000 -- Jerusalem fans' hopes for the construction of the nation's largest basketball arena got a boost recently when the city council approved funds for a plan to build a sports complex next to Teddy Stadium.
The facility's centerpiece will be a 15,000-seat basketball arena where Hapoel Jerusalem will play its home games. The council has so far budgeted NIS 8 million to design the arena, which Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert estimates will cost $65 million and be completed in approximately three years.
Some $40m. will be provided by Mifal Hapayis, the national lottery, with the rest coming from private donations and the city budget, Olmert said.
He said that Hapoel Jerusalem and the city need a new stadium, which will replace the current, 2,800-seat facility. 'In order to be part of a premier international basketball league, the team needs a more modern, larger arena. And the capital of Israel should be able to host international competitions, such as European cup final games.'
Hapoel Jerusalem, the mayor added, would have no trouble drawing enough fans to make the stadium profitable. 'Betar now draws close to 20,000 fans, so why shouldn't the same happen in basketball?' he said.
The complex will also include an Olympic-sized swimming pool and tennis courts, as well as host international conventions that are too large for the Jerusalem International Convention Center (JICC).
The arena proposal has, however, met with some opposition from council members, with Meretz saying the city cannot afford the cost of the stadium.
'Jerusalem is a city of poor people and is facing a huge deficit,' Meretz council member Pepe Alalu said. 'We could use this money, including the Mifal Hapayis money, for more important things, such as helping young people, single mothers, and old people. If the city had money, I would not be against this, but Jerusalem is not a wealthy city.'
He added that the city should conduct a study to examine whether the arena will benefit the city from an economic standpoint and said the project would ultimately cost substantially more than $65m.
Alalu also charged that the mayor had made an agreement with the religious parties on the council to close the complex on Shabbat and Jewish holidays in exchange for their support on the issue. A spokeswoman for the mayor's office denied that there had been any such agreement. She said the mayor had favored closing the complex on Shabbat long before the issue ever came before the City Council.
The city had originally thought of building the complex adjacent to the JICC. However, due to the elevated ground in the area, the price tag for a complex in that neighborhood would be some 60 percent more expensive, Olmert said.
He added that he was 'afraid... the complex might face difficulties with the religious community' if it was built near the JICC, which is surrounded by heavily religious neighborhoods.
Although Hapoel Jerusalem does not play on Shabbat, the mayor said he thought the facility would have more 'flexibility' if it was built in the less religious Malcha neighborhood.
Olmert said the name of the facility had not yet been decided. However, he said he would not follow in the footsteps of Teddy Kollek. 'Don't worry,' he said with a laugh. 'The stadium will not be named after me.'
Keywords: Basketball. Structure. Construction. Jerusalem.
Copyright 2000 Jerusalem Post. All Rights Reserved
Jerusalem Post
11-24-2000
Headline: Nation's largest hoops arena taking shape in capital
Byline: ARYEH RAZIEL
Edition; Daily
Section: Sports
Page: 21
Friday, November 24, 2000 -- Jerusalem fans' hopes for the construction of the nation's largest basketball arena got a boost recently when the city council approved funds for a plan to build a sports complex next to Teddy Stadium.
The facility's centerpiece will be a 15,000-seat basketball arena where Hapoel Jerusalem will play its home games. The council has so far budgeted NIS 8 million to design the arena, which Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert estimates will cost $65 million and be completed in approximately three years.
Some $40m. will be provided by Mifal Hapayis, the national lottery, with the rest coming from private donations and the city budget, Olmert said.
He said that Hapoel Jerusalem and the city need a new stadium, which will replace the current, 2,800-seat facility. 'In order to be part of a premier international basketball league, the team needs a more modern, larger arena. And the capital of Israel should be able to host international competitions, such as European cup final games.'
Hapoel Jerusalem, the mayor added, would have no trouble drawing enough fans to make the stadium profitable. 'Betar now draws close to 20,000 fans, so why shouldn't the same happen in basketball?' he said.
The complex will also include an Olympic-sized swimming pool and tennis courts, as well as host international conventions that are too large for the Jerusalem International Convention Center (JICC).
The arena proposal has, however, met with some opposition from council members, with Meretz saying the city cannot afford the cost of the stadium.
'Jerusalem is a city of poor people and is facing a huge deficit,' Meretz council member Pepe Alalu said. 'We could use this money, including the Mifal Hapayis money, for more important things, such as helping young people, single mothers, and old people. If the city had money, I would not be against this, but Jerusalem is not a wealthy city.'
He added that the city should conduct a study to examine whether the arena will benefit the city from an economic standpoint and said the project would ultimately cost substantially more than $65m.
Alalu also charged that the mayor had made an agreement with the religious parties on the council to close the complex on Shabbat and Jewish holidays in exchange for their support on the issue. A spokeswoman for the mayor's office denied that there had been any such agreement. She said the mayor had favored closing the complex on Shabbat long before the issue ever came before the City Council.
The city had originally thought of building the complex adjacent to the JICC. However, due to the elevated ground in the area, the price tag for a complex in that neighborhood would be some 60 percent more expensive, Olmert said.
He added that he was 'afraid... the complex might face difficulties with the religious community' if it was built near the JICC, which is surrounded by heavily religious neighborhoods.
Although Hapoel Jerusalem does not play on Shabbat, the mayor said he thought the facility would have more 'flexibility' if it was built in the less religious Malcha neighborhood.
Olmert said the name of the facility had not yet been decided. However, he said he would not follow in the footsteps of Teddy Kollek. 'Don't worry,' he said with a laugh. 'The stadium will not be named after me.'
Keywords: Basketball. Structure. Construction. Jerusalem.
Copyright 2000 Jerusalem Post. All Rights Reserved
