City plays down Menteng field history
City plays down Menteng field history
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The city administration played down on Wednesday the historical value of the Menteng soccer field in Central Jakarta and insisted that it would go ahead with its plan to convert the field into what it describes as a "multipurpose park".
"Time doesn't stand still and we must keep up with the latest developments and progress. We have to upgrade the use of the soccer field to cater to the needs of the wider community rather than paying too much attention to the historic value of the site," Jakarta Spatial Planning Agency director Nurfakih Wirawan told reporters at City Hall.
The soccer field forms part of the country's first modern urban tropical park, which was designed in 1910 by P.A.J Moojen, one of the first modern architects to work here.
Jakarta Parks Agency director Sarwo Handhayani said that the administration would select the final design of the new park from the winning entries in a design competition.
"The new park will include green spaces, playing fields, and sports facilities, like a jogging track and futsal field. But, of course, we will need support facilities, such as parking lots, cafeterias, galleries and cafes," said Handhayani.
Handhayani said that at least one quarter of the 3.4 hectare stadium would be converted into a parking lot capable of accommodating 200 cars.
For the finalization of the design for the new park, the agency has allocated Rp 200 million out of the 2005 city budget.
The administration estimates that the development of the park will cost around Rp 45 billion.
The plan has given rise to strong opposition from various sides, including the City Council and the Indonesia Landscape Architects Study Group, which pointed to the status of the soccer field as a historical site.
According to a gubernatorial decree on heritage conservation, the Menteng soccer stadium, which was used by Dutch people for sports activities since 1921, when it was the Voetbalbond Indische Omstreken (Indies Football Association) ground, or Viosveld as it was commonly known, is designated as an historical site.
State Minister for Youth and Sports Affairs Adhyaksa Dault also lamented the plan, which he said would mean the loss of another sports facilities amid a chronic lack of such facilities in the city.
Jakarta has only a few soccer fields, including the ones on Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan (North Jakarta), and the Arcici soccer field in Rawasari, Central Jakarta.
Opposition has also been forthcoming from the city's flag carrier soccer team, Persija Jakarta, which has been using the stadium as its home base and headquarters since 1961.
Many have also expressed fears that the administration is, in fact, intent on turning the area over to commercial purposes.
Meanwhile, the City Sports Agency head Taufik Yudi said that the administration would move Persija to the Lebak Bulus soccer field in South Jakarta.
Ma'mun Amin, an assistant to the city secretary for economic affairs, said that the administration would pay compensation of Rp 13 billion to Persija should it be forced to move from Menteng to Lebak Bulus.