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.