Western Wall
Photo: AP
Addition to building near Western Wall approved
Supplement includes three floors measuring 950 square meters in size, which will be populated by police, Chain of Generations Center
The Interior Ministry's Regional Committee for Planning and Construction in the Jerusalem District recently approved an addition measuring 950 square meters (10,225 square feet) to a building on the northern part of the Western Wall plaza.
According to an Interior Ministry official, "The plan, which was prepared by architect Ada Karmi, includes the addition of a two-story wing at the front of Strauss House and another, fourth floor on top.
"This area will be populated by a police station, the Chain of Generations Center, operational grounds and services for visitors and workers of the Western Wall plaza."
Interior Ministry officials noted that ever since the evacuation of the police point on the western part of the Western Wall plaza, upon the start of the archeological excavations in the site where the building was located, the security and safety needs in the entire plaza and the Temple Mount have not been properly met.
"The reconstruction will allow the establishment of a proper center for the needs of the police and the millions of people visiting the Western Wall every year," the Interior Ministry said in a statement.
"The building will also allow us to meet other needs related to the operation of the Western Wall plaza. In light of the clear needs, the District Committee saw it as extremely important to approve the plan."
The committee also ruled that the overall planning of the Western Wall plaza must also be advanced, and that all the required needs must be examined from a regional point of view.
