Pais Arena
The Jerusalem Arena (Hebrew: הארנה ירושלים, HaArena Yerushalayim), renamed for the National Lottery Mifal HaPais grant as Pais Arena Jerusalem (Hebrew: פיס ארנה ירושלים, HaPais Arena Yerushalayim), is a multi-purpose sports arena that was built in Jerusalem by the city council and National Lottery grant of Mifal HaPais. Opened in September 2014, the arena is located in the Jerusalem Sports Quarter, in the southwestern Malha neighborhood, adjacent to Teddy Stadium. The arena seats 11,000 for basketball games.
 Jerusalem Arena, June 2015 | |
| Full name | Pais Arena Jerusalem |
|---|---|
| Location | Jerusalem, Israel |
| Coordinates | 31°45′4.05″N 35°11′38.92″E |
| Public transit | Malha Station (Israel Railways) buses: 5, 6, 14, 18, 31, 33, 35, 77 and 77A (Egged) |
| Owner | City of Jerusalem |
| Operator | City of Jerusalem |
| Capacity | 11,000[1] |
| Field size | 441,300 square feet (41,000 m2) |
| Surface | Parquet Ice |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | September 2009 |
| Opened | 11 September 2014 |
| Construction cost | NIS 400 million EUR € 85 million |
| Architect | Arthur Spector[2] |
| Tenants | |
| Hapoel Jerusalem | |
Features
The arena interior itself covers 40,000 square metres (430,000 sq ft) and, according to Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, the arena is the largest indoor space in Jerusalem. The arena is able to host professional sports, world-class concerts, international conferences, and cultural events.[3] The arena also contains a medical sports center, club rooms, offices, and two additional halls. The entire complex includes 47,370 square metres (509,900 sq ft).
The arena is part of a number of sports facilities in the Jerusalem Sport Quarter, which include an indoor Olympic-size swimming pool, tennis courts, and an ice rink. It is also a multi-purpose site, with hotels and residences for athletes with accommodations of 240 rooms, that is able to provide facilities for exhibitions, cultural and business events. There is also an underground parking space for 1,700 cars, and a retail power center.
History
In 2004, Jerusalem mayor, Ehud Olmert, declared a new basketball arena would be built within a year. In December 2005, the cornerstone was laid. In July 2009, the city hall publicized tenders for building the arena's infrastructure.
The building project was originally scheduled to be finished in late 2014, and originally estimated at a cost 240 million NIS. Of which, 187 million NIS was to be covered by Mifal HaPais, 20 million NIS from a grant from the Israeli National Sports Betting Council, and 33 million NIS from the Jerusalem municipality. However, the final eventual cost of the project ended being over 400 million NIS.[3]
Upon completion, the arena became the new home arena of the Israeli Basketball Premiere League club Hapoel Jerusalem B.C., as they moved into it from the smaller Malha Arena, which was their previous home arena. The arena was officially opened on 11 September 2014.[4]
References
- "Pais Arena Jerusalem".
- https://m.jpost.com/Israel-News/Middle-Easts-largest-sports-cultural-and-recreational-center-unveiled-in-Jerusalem-374787
- "Pais Arena Jerusalem". Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
- הפועל ירושלים תחנוך את הארנה בגביע ווינר (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2014-09-03.
External links
