Salah-a-Din Street has served as east Jerusalem's business center since the days of the British rule in Israel. The street has been home to a long line of establishments, from the main post office building to the prestigious American Colony Hotel currently, situated in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
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In recent days business owners and passersby were surprised to witness activity at one of the most recognizable sites on the street - a large building foundation that has been abandoned for over 40 years, leaving it in a dilapidated state.
Since the Six Day War in 1967,
the 10-floor structure has been one of the most homely sites in the city, currently serving as a dwelling place for junkies, pimps and the homeless. It is considered a major health hazard.
Several days ago construction workers arrived at the site and began cleaning the basement floor, setting up a sign reading (in Arabic as well as in English) "A-Dar mall - Muhamad Zaki Nusseibeh and sons." A lawyer working nearby said this week that the project's completion would revolutionize in east Jerusalem's commercial and social life.
The building is owned by the Nusseibeh family, one of the most senior and privileged Palestinian families in the capital. The Nusseibehs are Muslims who, to this very day, hold the keys of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The property in Saleh a-Din street has been under the family's ownership since the days of the Ottoman rule. Throughout the years the property has served as a children's home, an infirmary and a school. In 1965 family members Muhammad and Hisham planned to turn the site into a hotel, but the project was shelved due to the Six Day War.
About 10 years ago Muhammad Nusseiba, having obtained the family's agreement, decided to build an office building and shopping mall at the site. Since 1967 no office building has been built in east Jerusalem, which also lacks a modern shopping center. The first floors will house the mall and the top ones will serve as offices.
The project constitutes the first commercial enterprise in east Jerusalem since its annexation to Israel.
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