Beos station must survive

Beos station must survive

From Warta Kota

The historic railway station in downtown Jakarta, known as Beos station or Kota Station, will be modernized with the addition of a shopping mall, in a project jointly managed by state railway company PT Kereta Api and a private firm.

A lot of historic buildings in Kota have been demolished to serve the interests of a handful of businesspeople who have no concern for our heritage. If such businesspeople handle the project at Beos, the station will surely disappear.

As a Jakarta resident, I agree with the planned modernization as long as the new building can blend into the old one without causing damage to the historic structure. The Jakarta administration should make an inventory of the station to prevent haphazard demolition.

If PT Kereta Api and the private firm managing the mall project at Beos are smart enough, the historic location will be developed into an attractive place to visit, rather than an unexceptional site that invites public condemnation.

SARIMUN SUMARKIJO Jakarta