Heat put on Braga street development<\/p>\n
Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung<\/p>\n
The controversial Braga City Walk project was unlikely to bring
\nthe historic Jl. Braga area back to life, a heritage activist and
\nresidents said on Monday.<\/p>\n
Bandung Heritage Society chairwoman Harastoeti said building a
\nmall, apartment, supermarket and hotel on the street would not be
\nenough to attract people to the area.<\/p>\n
The developer and the government should also renovate existing
\ninfrastructure and add street lamps and beautiful sidewalks to
\nlure people, she said. A simple upgrade of the sidewalks was not
\nenough.<\/p>\n
While the project could attract Bandung residents, it was
\nlikely they would only visit the mall, Harastoeti said. People
\nwere unlikely to use the sidewalks to buy souvenirs from the
\nshops along the street, as was planned by the government and the
\ndeveloper.<\/p>\n
\"People will be reluctant to walk on Jl. Braga, as all they
\nneed, including shops, cafes and restaurants, they can already
\nget in the mall,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The planned complex is to be set about 50 meters back from Jl.
\nBraga, with developer Bangun Mitra Mandiri promising to provide
\nwide sidewalks for pedestrians on the street as part of the \"City
\nWalk\" concept.<\/p>\n
The firm's executive director, Tjen Ruddy Chandra, has said
\nthe complex would occupy 40,000 square meters of land. His
\ncompany had invested Rp 300 billion (US$35 million) into the
\nproject, which could be completed by the end of 2005.<\/p>\n
Construction would start immediately after approval from the
\nBandung administration, Tjen said.<\/p>\n
Harastoeti predicted the construction of the buildings would
\nonly aggravate traffic jams on the street, as there would be more
\ncars trying to get into the shopping mall complex.<\/p>\n
David B. Soediono, the chairman of the Braga Residents
\nAssociation, said the government, developer and residents should
\nhold a roundtable discussion to determine the street's future.<\/p>\n
All parties had to think of how to create a conducive
\nenvironment to get people onto the sidewalks, generating business
\nfor the street's now quiet shops, David said.<\/p>\n
Jl. Braga used to be one of the city's main thoroughfares,
\nespecially in the Dutch colonial era. Some important shops and
\ncompany offices were located on the street, including Abundatia
\nflorists, which supplied flowers to the governor general's palace
\nin Batavia, now Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Over time, the street became more quiet as more owners
\nabandoned their shops, following the shoppers attracted to other
\nparts of the city.<\/p>\n
As a result, about a quarter of the 129 historic buildings in
\nthe area were destroyed, half were neglected and in disrepair and
\nonly the remaining quarter had been renovated by their owners.<\/p>\n
Bandung Mayor Dada Rosada stressed his administration had not
\nyet officially approved the project.<\/p>\n
\"In general we agreed to the project because it is aimed at
\nbringing the street back to life. But before it is officially
\napproved it has to pass environmental impact analysis by the
\nBandung government,\" he said.<\/p>",
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