
After nearly a century of continuous operation on the same grounds, one of Israel’s most iconic bakeries is set to be replaced by a major residential development. The Yerushalayim District Planning and Building Committee has approved a proposal to transform the former Angel Bakery complex in Givat Shaul into a high-rise housing project.
The approved plan envisions the construction of 960 residential units in towers reaching up to 35 stories, built atop five levels of commercial and office space. The project will also include a school, green public areas, and a diverse range of apartment types — with 20% of units designated as smaller residences. Moshe Tzur Architects designed the project, which is being advanced by Kanfei Ruach Building Jerusalem Ltd., and it will be located at the western edge of Givat Shaul’s business zone, directly on the city’s light rail green line.
The 18-dunam (approximately 4.5-acre) parcel served as the home of Angel Bakery since the 1920s. The Angel family sold the property to developers in 2021, and the bakery closed its doors there in 2022, opening the door for redevelopment.
This new venture adds to a broader wave of urban renewal in the district, including the adjacent “City of the World” development on the grounds of a former flour mill. That project features 360 apartments, substantial commercial areas, and civic infrastructure.
The redevelopment aligns with an updated master plan for Givat Shaul, adopted in 2022, which reclassified zones formerly limited to industrial, commercial, and hospitality purposes to allow residential construction.
Elsewhere in Yerushalayim, the committee gave the green light to plans for revamping the historic President Hotel. Built in the 1950s and sitting empty since the late 1980s, the structure will be preserved for public use, while 300 new residential units will be added across four buildings. Two floors of rental housing will also be constructed atop the preserved hotel, with additional space allotted for street-level retail.
In Holon, near Tel Aviv, the committee approved a sweeping renewal plan for Yoseftal Boulevard, one of the city’s main entry points. The 70-dunam (17-acre) initiative includes 1,620 housing units, 160,000 square meters of retail and employment areas, and 100,000 square meters of space for public use, including a government complex. Its proximity to rail and light rail stations positions it as a future transportation hub. A segment of the residential units will be set aside as smaller apartments.
Ramat Hasharon’s Reines neighborhood will also see transformation, with approval granted for a project that replaces 104 outdated apartments with 270 new units housed in mid- and high-rise buildings. Of these, 10% will be categorized as very small units, and 30% as small. The plan incorporates ground-floor retail and a public-use facility.
In southern Israel, a separate initiative will make 2,500 land parcels available to military reservists, though about 1,000 of these are in areas where demand is currently low. Meanwhile, in Bat Yam, a previously stalled development due to insolvency issues has been revived, with authorities approving a 200-unit housing project.
{Matzav.com Israel}
35 story high towers means it for non religious residents. Nothing to celebrate as it is surrounded by religious neighborhoods
why cant chareidm live in tall buildings?
Most chareidim don’t like hiking up and down 3 or 5 stories on Shabbos, certainly not 35. At this point, the use of Shabbos elevators aren’t mehudar for healthy people.