City yet to receive HI renovation proposal

Bambang Nurbianto The Jakarta Post Jakarta

An official at the Jakarta Culture and Museum Agency says no proposal for the renovation of Hotel Indonesia has been submitted.

The hotel, the management of which has been taken over by cigarette producer Djarum Group, is a heritage site.

The head of the agency's supervision division, Candrian Attahiyyat, warned on Thursday that no renovation work should take place without the contractors meeting the rigid requirements set by the agency.

"Changing the original structure and appearance of a building classified as an A-class heritage site like Hotel Indonesia is not allowed," he said.

Candrian added that even the wall relief in the hotel's lobby could not be changed.

The Djarum Group, through its affiliate PT Cipta Karya Bumi Indah (PT CKBI), is reportedly to develop Hotel Indonesia and the adjacent Hotel Inna Wisata located on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta.

The 30-year build, operation and transfer agreement was signed by the government and PT CKBI in mid-February. The company said it would invest Rp 1.3 trillion (US$154.76 million) on renovating the hotel and on the construction of a shopping mall there.

Separately, the agency's heritage division head, Soesilojono, said renovation of a building categorized as a national heritage would be discussed by a team comprising architects, historians, archeologists and other relevant experts.

He said that the team would assess whether the renovations plans were in line with Gubernatorial Decree No.474/1993 on the protection of national heritage sites in the city.

The report will be handed to the head of the culture and museum agency, who then issues a recommendation on whether renovation should go ahead or not, he said.

"The team can make changes to the proposal so that it is in accordance with the regulation."

The recommendation is required to obtain a renovation permit from the Jakarta Building Supervision Agency (P2B).

Hotel Indonesia, the first high-rise building in the capital city, was built in the 1960s prior to the Sixth Asian Games in 1962. The hotel was used to accommodate athletes and officials from participating countries.

The five-star Hotel Indonesia and its traffic circle triggered the development of the prestigious golden triangle business district spanning Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Jl. Jend. Sudirman and Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said in South Jakarta.