Udi Blum

What recent key move did you lead?
The first significant move by Metropolis during this closing year was promoting the Mandleblatt-Ibn Ezra project – the first evacuation and reconstruction (“pinuy binuy”) project in Herzeliya. During the year we significantly promoted the project with local authorities, regulatory bodies and apartment owners, to obtain the demolition and building permits. Final preparations to demolish the old buildings have now commenced.
We have been guiding the project since 2014 and have managed to overcome many regulatory obstacles that have surfaced along the way. In this last year, thanks to our many efforts, the plan has garnered promotion and significant support by the city, when in one of the gatherings attended by apartment owners, the mayor of Herzeliya, Moshe Fadlon, assured the tenants and us that the project will be greenlighted and prioritized to become the city’s first evacuation and reconstruction (“pinuy binuy”) project.
The Mandleblatt –Ibn Ezra project is a milestone for the city of Herzeliya and Metropolis alike. We put many efforts, both in manpower terms and in financial terms, into arriving at this stage where we are ready to ask the tenants to give over their apartments, in order to make the dream come true. This project has seen many ups and downs, but all along the way the tenants and us believed that it can be completed. When both sides are willing, patient, and understanding when it comes to the common goal, one can overcome any challenge along the way.

What are the company’s strongest attributes?
The ability to analyze and understand the different needs of each and every tenant in the building and find the solutions they require, in order to allow them to undergo the renewal process as easily and quickly as possible. In addition, Metropolis is one of the only urban renewal companies to boast financial robustness and a backing by two strong groups in the Israeli market:  Allied and Eldar. This capability allows the company to promote the execution, planning and licensing of about 30 evacuation and reconstruction (“pinuy binuy”) and TAMA 38/2 projects, and in coming years it will construct an additional 2,000 housing units, 1,600 of which in Tel Aviv.

Which of the company's recent key moves will lead to it becoming stronger over the next few years?
During this last year we upgraded our work method regarding urban renewal projects. We examined the issue in depth, and in light of the experienced we gained, we have been working to move from promoting a single building-scaled project to overall compound-scaled urban renewal. This method allows us to plan and act more efficiently and in a more functional manner. Planning an entire compound instead of a single building mostly gets the support of the city and the tenants, since this way one can overcome more planning difficulties and renew infrastructure on a larger scale. Additionally, this last year has seen the establishment of an innovative and advanced customer service array in order to offer a professional, effective and quick solution to all our clients. 

What are the main challenges facing the company in the next few years?
The urban renewal field has become of the most significant growth engine in real estate these last few years, and Metropolis’s challenge is to establish itself at the top tier of companies in this field. Its challenge for the coming years will be to complete the construction of about over 2,550 housing units in different projects that are already undergoing planning and licensing today, and to continue developing its project portfolio.

What would you recommend an up and coming executive?
Study their line of business in the most thorough and professional manner, encourage every company employee to use their strengths and mainly generate an atmosphere of partnership and involvement which later transforms into a more efficient and effective form of work.

What should one remember during hardships?
That they’re mostly temporary and if performance during hardships is proper, good days will return.