Cheap apartments in Petamburan

Cheap apartments in Petamburan

JAKARTA (JP): Construction will begin soon on a six-story building with 100 apartments in the flood-prone Petamburan area in Central Jakarta, according to Mayor Abdul Kahfi.

The Rp 3.71 billion (US$1.29 million) project will be erected on a 2.48 hectare plot of land, the mayor said yesterday.

"This is the first stage of the city's plan to build more low- cost housing which should be finished in the next five years."

Governor Surjadi Soedirdja will lead the project's ground breaking ceremony on Monday with the building expected to be completed next year.

"We really expect that local residents will buy the apartments (as these developments will) ensure flooding does not happen again in this area," Kahfi said, suggesting locals save a down payment of Rp 1 million each.

"So far, we're targeting local residents only but there's no opposition to outsiders who want to buy the apartments as long as they can afford it," he said.

According to available data, the houses of about 2,000 Petamburan residents were inundated with flood water from overflowing canals this year.

The head of the City Control of Housing Development Agency, Nusmardi, said the Petamburan project would be developed by city- owned PT Sarana Jaya.

But private developers still have a chance to be involved in the project, he said.

Mayor Kahfi said the low-cost housing project was also designed to rejuvenate 44 slum areas in Central Jakarta. (04)