Hilton, Ratu Plaza land use deals to expire soon

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

With the land use contracts of the Jakarta Hilton International hotel and Ratu Plaza business center in Senayan, Central Jakarta, expiring in 2003 and 2004 respectively, the management board of the Bung Karno Sports Complex is looking to gain from the renewals.

The executive chairman of the Bung Karno Sports Complex management board, Yasidi Hambali, told The Jakarta Post on Monday that his office had tried to approach the management of both the Hilton hotel and Ratu Plaza, but had not received a positive response.

"If an agreement cannot be reached by the time the contracts expire, they should return the land to management board of the Bung Karno Sport Complex," Yasidi said.

He said that the 30-year land use (HGB) contracts were signed between the companies and the National Land Agency in the early 1970s.

The Hilton hotel was constructed on a 14.30-hectare plot of land by PT Indo Buildco while Ratu Plaza was built on 2.03 hectares of land by PT Ratu Sayang.

The two buildings are among 11 privately owned buildings occupying 66.74 hectares of land under the control of the Bung Karno Sport Complex management board.

Hilton hotel public relations director Uraini Umar Jadi refused to comment on the issue.

The Bung Karno Sports Complex management board controls a total of 279.10 hectares of land. The land was cleared in late 1958 when residents were told to move to other areas as Indonesia was to host the fourth Asian Games in 1962.

But only 146.57 hectares (53.52 percent) was allocated for sports facilities, the other 66.74 hectares or 23.91 percent was allocated for the private sector, and the rest of 65.79 hectares was for government buildings.

Other business centers built on the land include Menara Gelora Senayan, Hotel Mulia, Plaza Senayan, Panin Bank, Taman Ria and the Jakarta Convention Center.

Government buildings include the People's Consultative Assembly/House of Representatives complex, Manggala Wana Bakti, state television station TVRI, a high school and the Ministry of National Education.

Occupation of land under the control of the sport complex management continues amid concern over a lack of green and public spaces in the city.

A new shopping mall and business center called Senayan City will soon be built on 4,000 square meters of land near the existing Plaza Senayan.