The following posts were moved to this new thread. Please use this thread to disucss all issues regarding the southern districts of Beirut (near the Airport).

- Beiruti




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Is the Airport outside of the city?
How are the houses near it? new?

^^It was Outside of the City,but now it's in the Southern suburb.
Houses around it are both old and new

^^ there not meant to be there at all

isnt s. beirut kinda...sketchy? :?

^^The Southern suburb 'Most of it' Was built during the civil War as Illegal buildings.

isnt s. beirut kinda...sketchy? :?

what dose that mean...? Cheap looking

^^ You know.....a little nasrallah...refugee camps, AK 47's....Burj Arab if im not mistaken :?

^^ You know.....a little nasrallah...refugee camps, AK 47's....Burj Arab if im not mistaken :?

this is Beirut int'l's location in the city...can anyone point what other areas are illegaly built?

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/5927/airportwn1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

^^ Half of the Southern Suburb is illegally built. Especially on the old Airport road around the Bourj el Barajneh camp.

this is Beirut int'l's location in the city...can anyone point what other areas are illegaly built?

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/5927/airportwn1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Is it true that Rafic Hariri wanted to destroy all this area and rebuild it in the same way that the down town?It would be great because all of this area is facing the sea

^^ALLAH yer7amo,.he really wanted to make it the Most beautiful city on the Med. sea

I mean just look at this area!!!If it we connect if to ramlet el bayda beach, we could make it the largest sandy beach in Lebanon!!!
It's the same with Nahral Bared camp, it's near the sea.Instead of rebuilding a camp, they could build a marina or something like that!!!

I mean just look at this area!!!If it we connect if to ramlet el bayda beach, we could make it the largest sandy beach in Lebanon!!!

I always thought about it this way.all the buildings in that area must be demolished and let's make it the longest sandy beach in Lebanon.it's gonna attract so many tourists,especially that it's so close to the Airport.

those buildings behind LU annoy me

Those building are in the southern suburb. Hopefully, the LU will bring prosperity to the area.

"Is it true that Rafic Hariri wanted to destroy all this area and rebuild it in the same way that the down town?It would be great because all of this area is facing the sea"

do you have any idea how much that would cost to have been completed? i realy doubt it. and what would he have done with the thousands of refugee's or whoever the heck lives there? and if they really did plan to rebuild the whole place downtown-style, they most probably would have used cheap-ass materials, which would make the place look like disney-land. or dubai. same thing.

IF any plans will be made to make this place into a touristic area, the best thing is to give it an AUTHENTIC cheap quick-fix using what's already there and what they have. and to be honest, i personally believe that if that place is "fixed" it would look very nice, specialy because of its narrow winding streets and interconected houses. it has alot of character.
1- put red roofs on all the buildings
2- french windows
3- white plastered exterior walls.
4- cobbled streets.
5- lots of gemayze-style balconies: french-style cast iron balconies etc...
6- fountains/squares/statues ...they can make the place look like venice or Nice while still retaining the foundations and authenticity.
etc...

if done tastefully the place good/will look like this:

http://www.alpix.com/nice/pictures/pictflip/Nice_Chateau_1_m.jpg
http://images.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=http://www.alpix.com/nice/pictures/pictflip/Nice_Chateau_1_m.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.alpix.com/nice/htmlen/pictflip.htm&h=402&w=600&sz=95&hl=en&start=19&um=1&tbnid=0MiVJaz07VYHTM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnice%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG
http://www.mmoore.com/images/italy/venice/venicestreet4.jpg
http://www.hickerphoto.com/data/media/186/old-town-nice_12147.jpg
http://www.beyond.fr/picsvill2/nice45B.jpg
http://www.mathies.com/europe/nice1.jpg

but then again, one has to consider how the people living there will react. even though they're living there illegaly, hezbollah most probably will support them and not allow the government to do anything, or at least cause alot of trouble.
next thing to consider is, the fact that the place is predominantly muslim. will they be willing to accept tourists in bikinis etc...in their town/slum? AND will you realy want the tourists to go to such places (even though they have been renovated), the initial anti-western people are still gonna be there.

anyway..my rant is over. tell me what u guys think.

^^ Ultimately, those people need to be moved from there as it is not their land. Being a prime location, a solution might be found once Hezbollah agrees on it, or once the Hezb is weakened.

Kheireddine can tell you and maybe post pictures...that the area was a very trendy spot in the 50's and 60's...it had resorts liek the san Michel and San Simone.

The current makeup poses a significant danger...the homes are literally sandwiched between two runways..A) if a plane goes dwn or makes an Emergency landing they may be killed and B) Terrorists may use this area to cause human loss on a big scale....This was(is) major issue for the airport when it was rebuilt..they built tunnels etc..It continues to be a major concern and this particular section is priorty for removal

"Is it true that Rafic Hariri wanted to destroy all this area and rebuild it in the same way that the down town?It would be great because all of this area is facing the sea"

do you have any idea how much that would cost to have been completed? i realy doubt it. and what would he have done with the thousands of refugee's or whoever the heck lives there? and if they really did plan to rebuild the whole place downtown-style, they most probably would have used cheap-ass materials, which would make the place look like disney-land. or dubai. same thing.

IF any plans will be made to make this place into a touristic area, the best thing is to give it an AUTHENTIC cheap quick-fix using what's already there and what they have. and to be honest, i personally believe that if that place is "fixed" it would look very nice, specialy because of its narrow winding streets and interconected houses. it has alot of character.
1- put red roofs on all the buildings
2- french windows
3- white plastered exterior walls.
4- cobbled streets.
5- lots of gemayze-style balconies: french-style cast iron balconies etc...
6- fountains/squares/statues ...they can make the place look like venice or Nice while still retaining the foundations and authenticity.
etc...

if done tastefully the place good/will look like this:

http://www.alpix.com/nice/pictures/pictflip/Nice_Chateau_1_m.jpg
http://images.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=http://www.alpix.com/nice/pictures/pictflip/Nice_Chateau_1_m.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.alpix.com/nice/htmlen/pictflip.htm&h=402&w=600&sz=95&hl=en&start=19&um=1&tbnid=0MiVJaz07VYHTM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnice%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG
http://www.mmoore.com/images/italy/venice/venicestreet4.jpg
http://www.hickerphoto.com/data/media/186/old-town-nice_12147.jpg
http://www.beyond.fr/picsvill2/nice45B.jpg
http://www.mathies.com/europe/nice1.jpg

but then again, one has to consider how the people living there will react. even though they're living there illegaly, hezbollah most probably will support them and not allow the government to do anything, or at least cause alot of trouble.
next thing to consider is, the fact that the place is predominantly muslim. will they be willing to accept tourists in bikinis etc...in their town/slum? AND will you realy want the tourists to go to such places (even though they have been renovated), the initial anti-western people are still gonna be there.

anyway..my rant is over. tell me what u guys think.


I think that, as you pointed out, the issue is moot for now, as a government which doesn't want to risk moving a few protesters off of land slated for development only meters away from its own seat is unlikely to try to push for the expropriation of land in hezbollah's stronghold...

But that aside, a good book which among other things touches on the plans and the social issues of companies like Linord, Elyssar, and Solidere is Projecting Beirut: Episodes in the Construction and Reconstruction of a Modern City by Peter G. Rowe (Editor), Hashim Sarkis (Editor) . (It also has good essays on Lebanon's modernist heritage, and on urban planning efforts over the years.) Can you really force a plan on people rather than engaging them? They are squatters, but they were allowed to squat, even before the war, both to their detriment and to that of the legal owners. They were victims of fighting and of social disruption, and have now been settled there for a long time. (Ironically, their argument has points in common with that of our "new" neighbors across one of our borders...)

So I think your idea is actually more suited to reality. The people in the southern suburb are there to stay, and it's unlikely either Hezbollah or Amal are going to let the government push forward any large-scale redevelopment .

But to address the earlier part of your post, Elyssar's plan was to relocate people within the same general area, while freeing up the coast for tourist development. It wouldn't necessarily have been a project like the center, with historicist tendencies, and there was no pretense of making the low cost redevelopment areas attractive enough to become tourist draws like the center.

I've seen sketches here and there of the building type originally proposed for the new neighborhood for the displaced - I think Dar-al-Handassah had the brief. The original designs were of 5-6 storey stand-alone buildings, looking something like a 1960's urban renewal project in the US. I didn't see much of a plan for a neighborhood, more like a sterile, ordered wasteland-in-the-making, fit into spaces between highways...


The renderings from the Elyssar site (http://www.elyssar.com/overview.html ) look a little better than what I saw a few years back. I've tried to post them below. Apologies if they have been posted elsewhere.

Elyssar Overview
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb215/daschma/ElyssarOverview.jpg


Elyssar Overview 2
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb215/daschma/ElyssarOverview2.jpg

Elyssar Land Use plan
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb215/daschma/Elssarlanduse.jpg

Elyssar Maramel neighborhood
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb215/daschma/ElyssarMaramel11.jpg

Elyssar Sabra neighborhood
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb215/daschma/ElyssarSabra11.jpg

Anyway, again, as you'd pointed out, all of this is moot. This neighborhood will develop, or not, according to what the party that controls it decides, and that party will be hezbollah as long as it has more guns and money than everyone else.

yea for now nothing's goin to happen. not untill the political issues are solved. i dont particularly think hezbollah are that much interested in making their town a touristic place, as far as i understand, they are quite anti-western.
but if ever such plans ever do surface (hopefuly). yea i'd say ouzai would make a rather nice touristic area. i saw the plans you uploaded...i'm not that particularly impressed to be honest. by removing everything there is, means that the whole identity of the place is gone. they're trying to make the area look modern and alot like dubai.
here's another good pic i found:

http://www.seewald.com/images/France/SmPort_marseille_197k.jpg

look at the buildings in that pic ^ and try to find the resemblance between it and the buildings in ouzai. pretty much the same. only fancier.

what do you guys think personaly? simply out of interest. new and modern or old and full of character?
hmmm...anyway for now though id say we wait and see what'll happen with hezbollah.
i've been wanting to discuss this topic for ages now, i'm realy glad someone brought it up.

Well i don't see what kinda "old" or "character" these places have...MOst of the construction is illegal and during the war....Its not proper planning..or safe...Where is Dahiya in the plan?

I think that, as you pointed out, the issue is moot for now, as a government which doesn't want to risk moving a few protesters off of land slated for development only meters away from its own seat is unlikely to try to push for the expropriation of land in hezbollah's stronghold...

But that aside, a good book which among other things touches on the plans and the social issues of companies like Linord, Elyssar, and Solidere is Projecting Beirut: Episodes in the Construction and Reconstruction of a Modern City by Peter G. Rowe (Editor), Hashim Sarkis (Editor) . (It also has good essays on Lebanon's modernist heritage, and on urban planning efforts over the years.) Can you really force a plan on people rather than engaging them? They are squatters, but they were allowed to squat, even before the war, both to their detriment and to that of the legal owners. They were victims of fighting and of social disruption, and have now been settled there for a long time. (Ironically, their argument has points in common with that of our "new" neighbors across one of our borders...)

So I think your idea is actually more suited to reality. The people in the southern suburb are there to stay, and it's unlikely either Hezbollah or Amal are going to let the government push forward any large-scale redevelopment .

But to address the earlier part of your post, Elyssar's plan was to relocate people within the same general area, while freeing up the coast for tourist development. It wouldn't necessarily have been a project like the center, with historicist tendencies, and there was no pretense of making the low cost redevelopment areas attractive enough to become tourist draws like the center.

I've seen sketches here and there of the building type originally proposed for the new neighborhood for the displaced - I think Dar-al-Handassah had the brief. The original designs were of 5-6 storey stand-alone buildings, looking something like a 1960's urban renewal project in the US. I didn't see much of a plan for a neighborhood, more like a sterile, ordered wasteland-in-the-making, fit into spaces between highways...


The renderings from the Elyssar site (http://www.elyssar.com/overview.html ) look a little better than what I saw a few years back. I've tried to post them below. Apologies if they have been posted elsewhere.

Elyssar Overview
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb215/daschma/ElyssarOverview.jpg


Elyssar Overview 2
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb215/daschma/ElyssarOverview2.jpg

Elyssar Land Use plan
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb215/daschma/Elssarlanduse.jpg

Elyssar Maramel neighborhood
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb215/daschma/ElyssarMaramel11.jpg

Elyssar Sabra neighborhood
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb215/daschma/ElyssarSabra11.jpg

Anyway, again, as you'd pointed out, all of this is moot. This neighborhood will develop, or not, according to what the party that controls it decides, and that party will be hezbollah as long as it has more guns and money than everyone else.

are these all recent plans to fix up that neighbourhood ?
what dose that area look like now ?

The site dates to 2000, and I don't know if it's been updated since.

I really don't think anything will be done unless it is with Hezbollah's permission and through Hezbollah's agency, so none/little of what's on the site (except, perhaps one or two of the roads?) will have been executed.

yea true, besides i personally see no point in making south Beirut touristic, maybe only livable. tourism should concentrate in Ras Beirut, downtown, Jounieh etc...fix those places first then worry about the southern suburbs.

Only the waterfront in Jnah should be touristic. It was a wonderful beach before the war. The rest of the Southern suburb can be affordable residential/commercial/industrial area.

waterfront in jnah? is that the "other-half" of the ramlet el bayda? do you have any photos of it before or after the war, anything photos at all?

Jnah before the war:


http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb293/cedra_2007/JPEG0259.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb293/cedra_2007/JPEG0566.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb293/cedra_2007/JPEG0121.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb293/cedra_2007/JPEG0098.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb293/cedra_2007/JPEG0155.jpg

Jnah today:

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/4111/clercph5bd1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

oh wow, those are amazing! i never saw them before. yea i see what you mean now by that place beeing wonderful, the buildings on its front remind me alot of the beaches in spain.

are the people living in the houses in your last post, Lebanese? or would they be lebanese? or is this a palastinian refugee camp? because it realy is a shame if the lebs are living in those conditions :(

You are right, John, St-Michel beach had a Spanish architecture & it was facing my kindergarten

are the people living in the houses in your last post, Lebanese? or would they be lebanese? or is this a palastinian refugee camp? because it realy is a shame if the lebs are living in those conditions :(

Most of them are Lebanese, Some came from Karantina in 1976 & there is a lot of Lebanese from the South.

...you know something, best (and most economical) way to make this place touristic, is to rebuild the area as it was: simple white stucco low/medium rises. it wont cost much at all and definitely looks much nicer than those modern buildings proposed in post 22. as for the people living there, they should be organised in dense-compact [council-houses] buildings further back from the beach.
I'm really happy you linked me to those photos, i never knew what that place looked/looks like. thanks!

O.M.G it was sooo nice before ! the sand was really nice.

thats a very stark contrast..i don;t think any buildings should be built on the sand..it should all be public..hotels should be across the road

Is it true that Rafic Hariri wanted to destroy all this area and rebuild it in the same way that the down town?It would be great because all of this area is facing the sea

I guess it was true, I found this picture with information
http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/4030/southernhp1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


Location: Beirut - Lebanon
Client: Public Agency for the Planning and Development of Beirut South-Western Suburbs (Elyssar)
Address: Airport Boulevard, Beirut - Tel: 01 826 883
Total Land Surface Area: 850,000 m2
Total Built-up Area: 560,000 m2
Total project cost: USD 350 million
Services provided: Master plan of the entire District - Detailed studies and Tender Documents for Roads, Infrastructure Landscaping - Detailed studies and Tender Documents for the Industrial Zone and for housing neighborhoods of 8,000 persons.
Completion date: Master plan completed June 1997 - Detailed studies completed June 1998

^^:drool: i wish this comes true one day

They really should do something about this, just imagine if all this area was like downtown or raouché...
btw, thx Nadini

^^ 350 million? for the entire project? thats dirt cheap.

that would have been so good if they did that.

Yea its been blocked by HZ

It's just like how Hariri wanted to run the freeway along the coast underneath the airport's runways, but because he was unable to get Hizbullah to cooperate on the illegal construction of the Ouzai and Jnah, he was unable to do so and instead routed the highway around the airport on the eastern side.

Are you sure there is no tunnel..it was apart of the plans..If not Its good it wasnt underneath...i think that would pose a security issue...anyone can block or blow it up by just driving under it

I have a great Idea to fix South Beirut but ... it will never happen

^^Tell us about it :)

ok

first get rid of everything keeping nothing standing ( i mean those shaby places)
Build new Roads and plan it out nice make some streets plant Tree's around the road with Street Lights and a Foot Path. make some nice Parks around make a lake with BBQ area's build nice homes. and at the beach area clear it all ! clean the sand! plamt Palm Tree's on the side with a nice road with Beach Side Appartments along it.

that would be good ! New South Beirut

^^Cool :)
well,that's so California :D

^^ lol I was thinking more like Melbourne haha the way I live

ok

first get rid of everything keeping nothing standing ( i mean those shaby places)
Build new Roads and plan it out nice make some streets plant Tree's around the road with Street Lights and a Foot Path. make some nice Parks around make a lake with BBQ area's build nice homes. and at the beach area clear it all ! clean the sand! plamt Palm Tree's on the side with a nice road with Beach Side Appartments along it.

that would be good ! New South Beirut

This is basically what Rafic Hariri wanted to do...

^^ for $350m, and some guts, its worth it.

I got bored so i made my idea on paint lol its not very professional

Ive included a Primary School and a High School a Medical Center and Outdoor shoping strip/ resturants/cafes/bars/night clubs etc.

The pinkish blocks are singe Story Homes the Yellow are two story Homes and the Puuple blocks are Viillas and red are 6/8 story apparments along the coast and beach

I didnt do it all but you should get the idea what Im on About.


here....
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g240/Jamie_Y/CopyofNewSouthBeirut.jpg

^^Nice.
I have at least ten personnal plans like these for Lebanon but i draw them on papers.

It would be good if there was an area like that nicely planed , not just crapy dull appartments built along each other with bad roads.
Ive also drown up many plans I do it when I get bored of doing school work relax n stuff. be creative and and that.

how nice would it be to have a Shoping Center near a beach you can actully swim in and no marinas every everywere but with a nice Jetty with Boats, and mainted beachs with clean sand. and the homes will not be crowed

the single story homes are out of the question in lebanon...the population density is VERY VERY hight, owning your own piece of land in beirut will cost millions! but yea i know what you mean about the dull apartment blocks, then again the whole "housing estate"/"housing park" idea is more of a european/american thing, lebo's live in apartments! i suppose IF a housing estate was to be built, it would be suitable far out in the suburbs (beyond the airport, south).

finally, if the south of beirut will ever be refurbished, the people living there will demand a house in the same location, so we're back to the high-density "dull" apartment blocks! i suppose the only thing that could be done is plan it properly and tastfully next time, the south HAS to be a cheap/highly-dense area in order to accommodate the people of lower-income.

^^ i actullly got this whole estate idea from where I live
its true south Beirut will allways be the ghettos

Just look at the location of those "things"!!!
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd61/beirutguy/bidonville.jpg

Ripe for development................

those 'houses' are occupying such long stretches of beaches :(

I Just want a Bulldozer and drive along that area.

^^ me too
Harir wanted to fix this problem,but :ohno:

those 'houses' are occupying such long stretches of beaches :(

would you ever swim there?

1950s maybe .... now if you swim there you will get sick !

that place is embrassing

would you ever swim there?

After Water treatment,YES
just need some money and it will be Crystal clear

If you all are upset about this area, maybe you could consider the fact that the country needs to confront the reason why people are living there. The south of your country is not safe. You can blame HZ, but they're not the ones destroying entire villages. Until half of your country stops hating the other half, I don't see any reason people shouldn't be allowed to live where they forced to go. It sucks what happened to Beirut, but displacing people isn't the way to solve the problem.

^^All of them don't come from South Lebanon...many are from the Beqaa.

If you all are upset about this area, maybe you could consider the fact that the country needs to confront the reason why people are living there. The south of your country is not safe. You can blame HZ, but they're not the ones destroying entire villages. Until half of your country stops hating the other half, I don't see any reason people shouldn't be allowed to live where they forced to go. It sucks what happened to Beirut, but displacing people isn't the way to solve the problem.

Who said anything about displacing them?! They're already displaced!

And let me just put it this way, wherever Hezbollah exists (Ouzai, Da7ye, Britel, Qana, ..) it's not safe for any Lebanese!

^^All of them don't come from South Lebanon...many are from the Beqaa.

You are right, Ouzai had illegal settlements of people from the Bled Baalback before the war. The Jnah area was Christian and there was a church near the Coral Beach, my kindergarden school "jardin d'enfants" de Mme Srour was there, and there was wonderful beaches like the St-Simon and St-Michel. First, the aera was squatted by displaced people from Karantina and Nabaa, then in 1978, came the people from the South.

Check those vidéos

http://www.ina.fr/archivespourtous/index.php?vue=notice&id_notice=I05033539

http://www.ina.fr/archivespourtous/index.php?vue=notice&id_notice=CAB7601531401

Have you guys actually been to Bir Hassan? Its actually pretty nice especially between BHV and the golf course. Ouzai...not so much but I highly doubt they could make that place into a real tourist destination even if HA allowed Elyssar to bulldoze the entire thing. I for one rather take a 5-10 minute cab ride to Jnah or Raouche and not spend my vacation between two airport runways!

I think Jnah could become a second "Solidere" and they could even extend it into into the industrial area/slums in Wata between UNESCO behind the mosque (im not sure but if that a camp or not) and Cola. The land there is accessible, there are a lot of empty plots, and its more tourist friendly than Ouzai by not being directly next to the only airport in the entire country

I know this is not a photo thread, but I took these pictures for the south Beirut area on 13-Dec on my way to the airport and didn't know where to post them..

Ouzai:
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/3959/dsc05537editedux4.jpg

Jnah:
http://img356.imageshack.us/img356/5857/dsc05530editedif4.jpg

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/2909/dsc05531editedpu3.jpg

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/9633/dsc05534editedxf7.jpg

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/5092/dsc05533editedch1.jpg

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/1253/dsc05535editedgq0.jpg

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/1025/dsc05532editedzq6.jpg

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/8336/dsc05536editedxj1.jpg

Kuwait Embassy R/A Area
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/6696/dsc05538editediv7.jpg

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/7489/dsc05539editedij4.jpg

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/4853/dsc05540editedxj3.jpg

http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/9474/dsc05542editedbv1.jpg

^^ is that " taree2 l matar " , it's getting better , those are the new buildings of WA3ed?

^^No, those are not Wa3ed buildings. Those are just residential projects. I like them a lot because they are all lowrise, and have practically the same height. The 3 last photos are near the Kuwait Embassy.

^^ is that " taree2 l matar " , it's getting better , those are the new buildings of WA3ed?
Nope. Tarik el matar is about 2 km to the east of this. They wanted to make it into a new highway to lead to the airport a few years ago but the people in the neighborhood were against it. Has anyone ever been to Sultan Ibrahim? Whats the story behind that area? Was it developed under the same conditions as Ouzai was?

^^What Sultan Ibrahim are you talking about? Because the one I know is located in Achrafieh. But I've already seen one in Ouzai, at its end.

^^What Sultan Ibrahim are you talking about? Because the one I know is located in Achrafieh. But I've already seen one in Ouzai, at its end.
Between the bridge and the sea. is it still considered ouzai?

Yes, somehow. I don't know much about it but it seems to be famous...I find it weird though.

Yes, somehow. I don't know much about it but it seems to be famous...I find it weird though.
Yeah its kind of sketchy and run down considering its location directly on the sea and literally meters away from expensive or at least expensive looking neighborhoods

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/8336/dsc05536editedxj1.jpg


The Sultan Ibrahim area is located right beneath this fly over, after Summerland and Sheraton and right before Ouzai..

The one in Achrafieh and Bab Idriss is actually called that because of the famous restaurant located there

^^the area you guys are talking about is called Bir Hassan its a luxurious and, currently becoming very expensive,residential area filled with low-rise luxury development (4-7 flrs) and its becoming very popular and expensive ... prices per sq.m are 2500$ it is bordered by the Sultan Ibrahim Avenu from the north which is the photo #9-10 in post 71 all the way to the Beirut Golf Course to the south, to the west by the marriot Highway and ouzaii and to the east by taree2 el matar

^^ it contains around 15 embassies and consulates in its borders and 3 Tv studios and it is not part of the Elissar project

Cool Pictures From Now Lebanon


http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss61/budkheir/NOW-shoreline-420.jpg
An aerial photo taken on Sunday shows Jnah, a suburb south of Beirut , where heavy construction is eating away at the shoreline. (NOW Lebanon)

Is this Area also going to be demolished (if the Elisar project goes ahead)? because its located a bit north of Ouazi

I think its time..that area used to be 5 star beach clubs and resorts...

^^ I wouldnt stay/swim in that area if you paid me.

ya, that area conjures smells from my childhood that weren't all that pleasant... wasn't untreated sewage water constantly dumped just a bit before the airport. They will have to solve that problem either way.

I wonder the development that is going to happen in that area, it is really a chance to revitalize that part of the city. I think it would be really neat to make it into a sea side beach community with a corniche, some patio cafe's and small boutique hotels. It would be very fitting of the area. Also since that area is not a major commercial shipping route, the waterfront can be used for recreational purposes. I would love to see something where you can rent boats, kyaks, and jet skis. Maybe beirut can get its own dragon boat team, I would totally join. And the beach would be perfect for summer festivals and large public gatherings (of the non political persuasion). Imagine them setting up a stage there and having a reggae artist perform there. It would be great!

Does anyone have the website for elisar..i saw it a few days ago and cannot relocate it

Cool Pictures From Now Lebanon


http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss61/budkheir/NOW-shoreline-420.jpg
An aerial photo taken on Sunday shows Jnah, a suburb south of Beirut , where heavy construction is eating away at the shoreline. (NOW Lebanon)

Is this Area also going to be demolished (if the Elisar project goes ahead)? because its located a bit north of Ouazi

I think its time will come sooner or later. The other side of that bridge is pretty high class and running out of space fast so natural development will improve that area as land once Bir Hassan fills out. No need for Elisar or another development company to come along. Just let the market play its game

They can just remove those shocking buildings and not build anything keep the land nice and clean have a nice strench of beach with no marina's ruining it.

Here is an aerial view of the area courtesy of Wikimapia:

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/rhmud/4b45d6ab.jpg

^^

Can anyone explain the history behind the new development in Bir Hassan/Jnah?

The low-rise buildings alligned in the grid pattern is very nice planning. What was originally in these plots and when did construction begin?

The way the roads are designed hints that there is a master plan which awaits the remaining slums to be demolished.

that golf club is like a breath of fresh air to see

^^ Do you know when it was established? How was this massive piece of land not occupied by settlers?

that golf club is like a breath of fresh air to see

I believe the golf club used to be larger at one point in time. It has been shrinking.

^^ Do you know when it was established? How was this massive piece of land not occupied by settlers?

been there since 1923

Ouzai


http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad235/R91599/132994829_acdd34552a_o.jpg


http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad235/R91599/4005668468_65f3b1c469_b.jpg

The water looks so polluted.

I had no idea the houses were built so close to the shore! i wonder how they survive high stormy seas...

^^ These are very rare pics, where did you find them?

I'm just speechless and cant believe this scene is just minutes away from the airport. Something urgently needs to be done...

I never knew it was that bad! God knows how much rubbish there is in the water.

^^

I found them on flickr.

The condition of these houses are terrible and unhealthy, but that's nothing compared to the ref. camps.






http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad235/R91599/2491485277_b5bd4223d9_o.jpg

I once walked there and I confirm what is being said here, the situation is catastrophic. I was able to find super cheap fireworks though :D
Oh and seriously houses from the inside aren't bad at all, but I don't know how people manage to walk between the houses, there's like 1 meter between two 'structures', and it smells baaad. Oh and they get fresh vegetables from the villages too and it's super cheap haha

Apparently its full of drugs. I think most of those who live there are from Baalback or so. They should send them all back to there villages and remove these slums. Its really unbelievable to find such places in Beirut! Imagine going to summerland for example and seeing this!

I also use that highway to go to Verdun and Ramlet El Bayda and the contrast in just flagrant. Just talk a walk in Bir Hassan, and continues to Ouzai, it's like you go from a country to another.

Its really unbelievable to find such places in Beirut!

Why is it unbelievable for Beirut? Half of Beirut is controlled by a rebel government. the other half has fallen under the hand of corrupt and distasteful urban planners. You make is seem like Beirut is a perfectly planned city and seeing a slum is like " omg, what is that doing there?! :O "

...hee hee :)

What method of destruction will be used?

Here's one more...

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad235/R91599/3559741120_dc23757547_b.jpg

:ohno:

Those would make a great Beirut banner :ohno: :ohno:

What method of destruction will be used?

Atomic bomb? :ohno::ohno:

Atomic bomb? :ohno::ohno:

or simply a bulldozer :lol: this is catastrophic i wish PM saad el hariri can do sth about it but the father used to love beirut and worked hard to reconstruct the city his son is just working politics. By the way it should be aa project proposed by the ministry of tourism and general work .

^^ He is doing something. It's called the Elissar Project and he is working to revive it.

^^ He is doing something. It's called the Elissar Project and he is working to revive it.

the problem sticks on reviving it thats what we are complaining about. Not everyone is approving this project (you know whom)

by the way all the people in this region are poor. If they destroyed the whole area where are they going to "camp":lol:

^^ That's the main issue. Well, if Hizballah can rebuild Dahieh and force people to comply, why cant something similar happen for Ouzai?

Because there's Amal in Ouzai, and Amal isn't as organised as Hezbollah.

^^ Do you know anything about the Iranian-funded Ouzai main street and park "renovation"? Basically they painted the curb yellow and green and planted trees... so I'm sure Iran has a stake in the future of this area.

^^ Do you know anything about the Iranian-funded Ouzai main street and park "renovation"? Basically they painted the curb yellow and green and planted trees... so I'm sure Iran has a stake in the future of this area.
u mean had. After all the problems over there i dt think it still has the same vision. The political view of the region is changing.

the problem sticks on reviving it thats what we are complaining about. Not everyone is approving this project (you know whom)

by the way all the people in this region are poor. If they destroyed the whole area where are they going to "camp":lol:

part of the plan is to construct low cost housing

Found a picture of what the area looks like

Courtesy of Kathreine M. (posted today)

http://i46.************/1q6cdt.jpg

^^ And where is the outcry for the demolition of these illegal buildings surrounding the airport? This incident is EXACTLY what the US said might happen and one of the main reasons why they would not allow direct flights. This whole ordeal is outrageous on so many levels. I guess the best thing to come out of it is the resignation, but now we need some action...

Agreed and be more specific the houses are between the runways!!!!!!!!!!!!! In 2004 they estimated compensation of that area at 30 mil..I I dont see why we should compensate but if you must I say pay it..(or cheaper yet--- build public housing to house them) ..it will also allow for more development

Meanwhile, Ad-Diyar newspaper said Wednesday that a "stray bullet" from clashes between rival families in Ouzai was behind the emergency landing of a Gulf jet.

They should put those inconsistent people straight to jail, i don't know what the gov are waiting for.

Why everyone blames the Shia for everything? :ohno:

I doubt a stray bullet hit the glass of a flying plane, but I don't recall anyone blaming the shia ???????? You're jumping to conclusion and making this more than it is.

e7m e7m.... its Lebnani, not Lebneni, thats someone else :tongue3:

That area needs to be bulldozed down regardless of gunshots or not. Its really misused space.

Why everyone blames the Shia for everything? :ohno:
Who get to this conclusion? but anyway Shia, Christians, Sunny... we all know that this area are full of weapons, and in my mean, the governement must do something to get this area free of weapons, because one day it will go to disaster.

Why everyone blames the Shia for everything? :ohno:
read a newspaper once in a while :D

^^ What point are you trying to make?!

let's be honest, the ouzai area is mostly hizballa supporters, protected by hizballa, no one can get in, they can do whatever the fuck they want, from kidnapping to shooting randomly at planes, and no one can do anything about it, I think that's the point he was trying to make I assume.

^^ :yes: unfortunately

Funny how all this comes at the same time...either there are people trying to scare tourists away and make the country look unstable or its a coincidence. I hope they werent bullets but if they are that should be a green light to bulldoze ouazi between the runways and even a bit further to make it more secure. That is all private lands that are occupied by illegal construction anyway.

Restore those beaches ultimately! You know i went to St Barts and St Martin people actually go onto the beachs to watch the planes they are right at the end of the runways lol. Key word therre is Beaches not housing. Those areas can be tourist magnets again as they should be.

oh.. this is sad!

I read your posts thinking holy crap its going to get bulldozed this is amazing! It will clean up our coast there and tourists wont "first experience" this...slum?

But... I guess not. Its only been said they are going to bulldoze, not that its actually started lol. Damn

Either a plane is gonna crash into that area one day and hundreds will die (inshallah no), or the government is going to have to lay down an iron hand and clear the area out. But you can't honestly kick them out without having alternative housing and a relocation plan (and HZB support.) That area is a great risk for lebanon's civil aviation scene and being that close to the runways is a also a huge risk for the residents of that area themselves.

On the other hand, I totally agree that the whole area should be leveled.

I just hope that we would not jump into conclusions that always the shia is to blame, by default. I really hope that all the Lebanese will reconcile. And live in harmony :nuts: May be after 21.12.2012 we'll see this happening :lol:

Except for the bulldozers, we need a huge change in mentality.

Peace:)

Ba3tezir 3ala al off topic

Lol the shia are to blame, that phrase still confuses me. You guys know well that there are Shia all over lebanon, not just Ouzai, so to imply that the Shia are to blame, means that some shi3i in Jbeil is also to blame because he is shi3i. :tongue3:

The shi3a are not homogenous community and its very dangerous to implicate an entire community with certain characteristics just because certain events or incidents are commited by people who are shi3i.

These 2 families might be shi3i.... but their actions are not indicative or representative of the shi3i community. So the Shi3a are not to be blamed for anything any shi3i might do... unless this is a mass community movement, and not an individual case.

Thats just me, I dont believe in passing generalizations on large communities.

^^ 7abib albi inte ya lebnani. Amen to that, my point of view too. :cheers:

Bulldozing not a solution to a problem for poverty and deprivation. It would be such a stupid idea to just bulldoze a slum and just evict the poor people with nowhere to go. That would just create an even worse slum in the same place or somewhere else. Doing that and causing deeper poverty just so you can create a pretty but false facade is a ridiculous idea. If thats the way you do it and ignore the problem you will end up like India with a few rich people floating in a vast sea of miserable poverty. They should build proper apartments for them or just leave them alone.

^^ Im in favor of bulldozing the area, but at the same time building apartments for the displaced that used to live in the slums (in a diffrent area). Another idea that was actually used in Tripoli is where there used to be a small slum in the Beddawi area, the government and a donor stepped in and constructed 8 apartments for the people that used to live in the slums but the apartments could not be purchased only rented at an extremely low price per month to guarantee that eventually as time goes on the poor that rented those apartments could move into a normal apartment building somewhere else.

^^did not know tripoli did that!

So its kind of like what the Elissar project is? That is one project that would allow for all peoples in illegal housing/slums to have a place to live and thus creating a clean neighbourhood with zoning laws.
I can only wish that project goes through, because it would include the people here between the runways.

^^ Here it is:

http://i25.************/4kjrsp.jpg

A Mosque, Church, School, and Park were constructed along with the Buildings for the residents

Thanks Abdallah.. looks nice. Last post because I made this thread off-topic too much now, but do you have street level views of it (if you do, post in random chat so this doesn't go further off topic lol)? I'm interested in seeing what style and quality they were built in. From this view, it looks pretty organized like a little compound. A real smart idea on behalf of the tripoli municipality!

Here is an aerial view of the area courtesy of Wikimapia:

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/rhmud/4b45d6ab.jpg

^^

Can anyone explain the history behind the new development in Bir Hassan/Jnah?

The low-rise buildings alligned in the grid pattern is very nice planning. What was originally in these plots and when did construction begin?

The way the roads are designed hints that there is a master plan which awaits the remaining slums to be demolished.


It's been a while since this thread has been updated so I'm re-asking my above question in case anyone has any idea...

Let's start an occupy Oazai movement! I want those beaches back!!

^^ i want those beaches back too, imagine a beach from Rouche to airport , one long clean public beach for Beirutis , old glory days "sigh"