New recreation park to be opened soon<\/p>\n
By Devi M. Asmarani<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A new recreation center which combines
\nentertainment, leisure, and retailing is set to transform one of
\nthe city's modest public parks into a highly commercial venue.<\/p>\n
The construction of the park formerly known as Taman Ria
\nRemaja, near TVRI in Central Jakarta, is 60 percent complete and
\non schedule for opening in August, Ira Monika Irayati, the public
\nrelations executive of developer PT Ariobimo Laguna Perkasa, told
\nThe Jakarta Post recently.<\/p>\n
Unlike Taman Ria Remaja, however, the new park will cater to
\npeople from the middle and upper end of the economic spectrum.
\nAnd changes in the park's image are not only in appearance, they
\nare also in name.<\/p>\n
"We wanted to remove the previous raunchy image of Taman Ria
\nRemaja as a rendezvous for couples by changing its name to Taman
\nRia Senayan," Ira said.<\/p>\n
Remaja means youngsters: At the old park, evening visitors had
\nto tread carefully to avoid stepping on couples scattered around
\nthe many park's cozy corners.<\/p>\n
But to accommodate three luxurious buildings for upscale
\nrestaurants and pubs, the hills at the east end of the park where
\nchildren used to run up and down have been flattened.<\/p>\n
The new park will charge an entrance fee of Rp 5,000 during a
\nsix-month promotional period, Ira said. She added the charge
\nwould not include food and other entertainment activities.<\/p>\n
The 11-hectare site, located on the corner of Jl. Gatot
\nSubroto and Jl. Gerbang Pemuda, is owned by the Ria Pembangunan
\nFoundation, run by the wives of Armed Forces members.<\/p>\n
In 1970, the foundation entrusted the park's management to the
\ncity administration, which then appointed a developer partially
\nowned by the city, PT Pembangunan Jaya, to oversee it.<\/p>\n
Twenty five years later the park had pretty much been
\nabandoned in favor of shopping malls and other modern recreation
\ncenters.<\/p>\n
In 1995, PT Ariobimo Perkasa, a subsidiary of the Humpuss
\ngroup controlled by President Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo
\nMandala Putra, agreed to rent and manage the land for 20 years.<\/p>\n
The park, whose concept and operational planning were designed
\nby theme-park specialists ITEC and Baker Leisure Group from the
\nUnited States, combines the concepts of American theme parks with
\nlocal cultural color.<\/p>\n
The country's mighty volcanoes serve as inspiration for the
\nFamily Entertainment Center in the middle of the lake, which
\nhouses a magic-theme restaurant.<\/p>\n
The new site will also feature various other facilities such
\nas shopping and dining areas, rides, fishing piers, a themed
\nminiature golf course as well as a video games arcade.<\/p>\n
Ira claims the combined leisure, entertainment and retail park
\nis the first of its kind in the country.<\/p>\n
She cited the park's main commercial area, Laguna Ria, where a
\n12,000-square meter-space is being allocated for various outlets,
\nfrom gift shops to Indonesian craft stalls and a food center.<\/p>\n
Various musical and entertainment programs will be staged on
\none of the building's verandahs overlooking a six-hectare manmade
\nlake.<\/p>\n
Using natural preservation as its main appeal to visitors, the
\nattractions have been built around existing trees.<\/p>\n
"Only 30,000 square meters of the land will be built on," Ira
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Heeding calls from Deputy Governor for Economic and
\nDevelopment Affairs, Tb. M. Rais, who said the area must remain a
\nwater catchment zone, activities in the park center around the
\nlake, which takes up more than half of the land.<\/p>\n
"The lakeside resembles Sydney's Darling Harbor, and
\nSingapore's Clark Key, which are famous for being retail and
\nentertainment areas," Ira said.<\/p>\n
A laser show at the lake will be a nightly feature. Visitors
\ncan also enjoy trips around the lake on gondolas.<\/p>\n
Contrary to assumptions that Taman Ria Senayan will be an
\namusement park, Ira says the rides area will constitute a very
\nsmall percentage of the park.<\/p>\n
"This is definitely not an amusement park," she said, adding
\nthere would only be six rides.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless the designers claim the rides area "will be
\nsecond to none in the entire Southeast Asian region." Rides will
\ninclude a roller coaster aptly called 'Treeak', or 'Screeam'.<\/p>\n
Catering to people of all ages from morning to late at night,
\nthe park expects to attract more than two million visitors a
\nyear.<\/p>\n
So far there are only two parking lots. Another is planned for
\nthe grounds of the Gelora Senayan Stadium which the management
\nclaims will accommodate 3,500 cars.<\/p>\n
Ira said the rest of the cars would be temporarily parked in
\nthe parking lot at the People's Consultative Assembly building
\nadjacent to the park.<\/p>\n
No problems have been encountered so far -- the Assembly has
\nbeen very supportive of the project, Ira said.<\/p>\n
The company invested between Rp 80 billion (US$33.4 million)
\nand Rp 90 billion in the project. Ira said it expected to break
\neven in eight years.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Pulau Dua Restaurant on another island in the
\npark will remain, as it still has a contract with the owner, Ria
\nPembangunan.<\/p>",
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