City to renovate Senen complex

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The winner of the design competition for the overhaul of Senen market is no doubt feeling let down as the city administration announced on Monday it would use its own design.

The cost of the renovation project has been calculated at Rp 3 trillion (US$306.2 million).

"The new design will be made public in November as it is now awaiting the approval of the City Spatial Agency," president director of city market operator PD Pasar Jaya, Prabowo Soenirman said.

He said Senen market shareholders had not been involved in picking a design in the competition organized by the Central Jakarta administration in 2003.

Six blocks of the Senen traditional market are owned by Pasar Jaya, PT Pembangunan Jaya and PT Jaya Property.

"We have established a new consortium to renovate the Senen market called PT Senen City Development ... We are expecting to start construction work in April next year," he said.

The three city companies signed a memorandum of understanding on March 16 for the project.

He said the project would be finished in two years.

"The main objective is to revitalize the market, which was once very popular as a center of trade in the capital," he said.

The design for the market takes into consideration existing buildings in the area, such as the train station and bus terminal, and the future construction of apartments, office buildings and sports facilities.

Senen is one of the oldest traditional markets in the city. The country's founding president Sukarno ordered the renovation of the market in 1961.

The market, however, is now more known for its overcrowded bus terminal and street vendors, who occupy the sidewalks and the sides of the road in the area, as well as the high incidence of crime.

"We found that the area has also been used by local thugs to run illegal business, like gambling activities as well selling pirated and porn video compact discs," Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said.

Sutiyoso's administration launched early this month a campaign to evict sidewalk vendors in the Senen market area. Last week four people were injured when public order officers clashed with street vendors there.

"Personally, I will allow the presence of sidewalk vendors as long as they take up the existing space available for them. Of course, we will evict them should they start occupying road shoulder," he asserted.

The administration also plans to upgrade other big markets, like Tanah Abang and Jatinegara.

A city planner who works at Tarumanagara University, Suryono Herlambang, expressed concern over the administration's approach to city planning.

"I have the strong impression that the administration has no comprehensive plan for its revitalization projects as it is clear that every project it embarks on is opposed by the people," he told The Jakarta Post.

He urged the administration to encourage public participation in the planning as well as the implementation of the renovation projects.