Authorities urged to review Ciputra City project plan

JAKARTA (JP): A city councilor urged the municipality yesterday to review the Ciputra City project planned for the Koridor Satrio complex in Central Jakarta.

Lukman Mokoginta of Commission D for development affairs told a meeting of the City's Development Planning Agency that Ciputra City was just another exclusive project within the city.

"The administration should not allow private developers to build small cities within Jakarta because the capital is already been burdened by the growth of satellite cities around Jakarta. Why allow one to be develop within this city?" Lukman said.

Ciputra City is one of the projects scheduled for Koridor Satrio, a massive US$3.7 billion (US$1.2 million) project to convert Jl. Prof. Satrio into a pedestrian-friendly street lined with hotels and shopping malls.

There are eight other investors in Koridor Satrio apart from Ciputra. They are Danamon, Mega Kuningan, Jan Darmadi Corporation, Duta Pertiwi, Putara Surya Perkasa (PSP), Jakarta Land, Hatmohaji and partners (HAKA) and Asiatic.

The US$488 million, 5.4-hectare Ciputra City project, also called Ciputra Mal, which consists of shopping malls, hotels and recreation center, will be the first project in the Koridor Satrio.

When contacted last night, PT Ciputra Development spokeswoman Poedji I.H. Prasetyo, refused to comment on the councilor's suggestion.

But she said Ciputra City, also known as Ciputra Mal, was merely a name, like Kota Legenda or any other housing complex.

"We did not want to prolong the debate and I think the head of the City's Development Planning Agency has already said that the matter has been settled."

Agency head Budihardjo said that Ciputra himself did not object to changing the title Ciputra City.

"We will adjust the name according to the history of previous sites," Budihardjo said.

Pudji said the project would be divided into three zones: a 125,000-square-meter shopping center and two hotels: a five-star, 300-room Peninsula hotel and a four-star, 620-room Ciputra hotel.

Arrogant

Lukman said that the name Ciputra City projected an arrogant image.

"I think that if the city went ahead with the plan to allow Ciputra Group to built it, it will cause a wider gap between the poor and the rich," he said.

Lukman reiterated that he had visited the location of the future Ciputra City.

"The area is designed to be elite and exclusive sites. So where is the sense of the friendly concept of Koridor Satrio?" he asked.

He asked the city to immediately review the Ciputra project, and ask for a comprehensive environmental impact analysis study. This would cover the impact on traffic, waste disposal and drainage system.

"Even though there are Urban Design Guidelines, the Ciputra City project must have an environmental study to make sure that it will not burden the city," he said.

Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said a fortnight ago that the rapid growth of Greater Jakarta's housing complexes and satellite cities had exacerbated the capital's already chaotic traffic problem.

And the governor insisted that every project must have an environmental impact analysis study. (07)