Future projects
Valley Railway
The Valley Railway is a project for laying a 59 kilometer train track from Haifa to Beit She'an, with eight passenger stations plus commercial freight stations. The track will run along a similar route to that of the historical Valley Train, between Haifa and Beit She'an, which operated until the War of Independence. The Valley Railway in its future format will operate along a 59 kilometer track between Haifa and Beit She'an. Five stations will be built—Lev HaMifratz East, Kfar Yehoshua, Kfar Baruch, Afula and Beit She'an. The Railway will operate a passenger line and a freight line, and travel at a speed of 160 kilometers per hours. The train itself is expected to begin running in October 2016.
Affordable housing
The city of Afula is currently advancing an Affordable Housing project for native Afula residents in the city's jurisdictional area.
The goal of the project is to enable young couples who reside in the city to live in a quality, diverse residential environment—at controlled prices for long-term periods in accordance with the government's policy and initiatives.
The project will be erected on an area measuring 3500 sq meters, in a new complex in the center of the city. The complex will include a modern residential building constructed according to new construction technologies, with 4-5 room apartments, underground parking, outdoor parking, children's daycare, and a Kupat Holim clinic.
Technological incubator
A technological incubator is a business body that enables entrepreneurs to progress from the startup stage through to establishing a company or business, mostly based on new technology being researched and developed. Entrepreneurs in an incubator receive, for a limited period, financing and assistance in management, marketing, administration and a building in which to work—until the developers succeed in obtaining an independent commercial product, or until they obtain capital from additional investors. The incubator assists in establishing business and strategic contacts for entrepreneurs and contributes to strengthening ties with the city and environment in which it operates.
Upgrade of the municipal Cultural Center
The municipal Cultural Center is presently undergoing renovations for the benefit of local residents.
The goal of the renovations include: to increase the number of seats in the auditorium; create accessibility for the disabled (electric stair-lifts); upgrade and replace the stage, sound and projection system; paint new walls inside and outside the auditorium and the municipal gallery; improve the roof of the auditorium and the municipal gallery; upgrade the air conditioning, electrical and plumbing systems; renovate the backstage performers' rooms.
Upgrade of Independence Square
As part of the process of municipal renewal and strengthening the city center, Afula is planning to upgrade Independence Square, including installing quality surfaces, a fountain, decorative pool, and more.
Establishment of an engineering college
An engineering college, to open in November 2016, will be established in Afula in association with the ORT network. The city of Afula in association with ORT will build a college for engineers who will be trained primarily in hi-tech professions. This project represents part of our efforts to bring and establish a hi-tech industry in Afula. Plans for the erecting the College building at the former site of Brosh School were recently presented to Mayor Yitzhak Meron.
The College will be built in association with the ORT network, which will also extend professional and organizational assistance in its establishment and operation. The College will include functional classrooms, modern labs, a cafeteria to serve students, a teaching and guest lecturer staff.
As mentioned, the College will be built at the Brosh School site, which will be given a serious facelift and be adapted to the new building. Registration for studies at the College opens in February 2016, with studies scheduled to begin in November 2016.
Ben-Gurion School
The city's post-primary school system is being reconfigured from a pedagogical, organizational and physical aspect. To this end it was decided to establish Ben-Gurion School, an additional six-year school to be built on a site adjacent to the Eshkol Payis building.
Thus we will complete the process for establishing a school for 7th – 12th at one site, with all the corresponding advantages from a scholastic, ideological, social and administrative standpoint.
Ben-Gurion School will be defined as a school for sciences and arts that will offer programs in: dance, theatre, music, aeronautics and robotics.
Currently an effort is underway to recruit teachers to head these programs and to install cutting edge laboratories for the upcoming academic year. This will be done gradually, as 9th graders transfer to studies in the 10th grade at the new site currently being established. At the same time the auditorium at the site is undergoing renovations.
It's worth mentioning that the entire move was welcomed by the 'Supreme Committee' of the Ministry of Education, which views the project as significantly boosting post-primary education in the city.
Establishment of a new religious educational campus in the lower city of Afula.
The administration of the City of Afula in association with the Education Administration decided to cultivate and empower religious education in the city.
In order to fulfill this objective it was decided to establish a new religious education campus that will supply a response to the city's children in 1st to 12th grades. The campus will be built in the lower city in separate complexes suited for elementary school, yeshiva and high school. Establishing such a campus requires meticulous planning from both a pedagogical-educational aspect and an architectural aspect—so that it will be suitable for 21st century education, teaching and learning.
The education teams are currently busy developing advanced education models while the architectural plan is being developed.