Investors needed to speed up Kota renewal project

Investors needed to speed up Kota renewal project

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration is inviting private
companies to invest in the development of Jakarta's old city to
speed up the rejuvenation of the Kota area in North Jakarta.

An official at the city design and renovation agency, Wisnu
Murti, said on Saturday that the implementation of the project
has been slow because there are not many people interested in
investing in the downtown area.

Wisnu, who is the head of the agency's renovation department,
said that private companies are being urged to invest in Kota by
restoring old buildings for use as tourism sites, such as
restaurants, hotels or souvenir shops.

"There are many old buildings in the area that could be used
as tourism sites. Unfortunately only a few private companies are
interested in investing here," he told reporters who participated
in a one-day tour of the area organized by the Omni Batavia
hotel.

Many of the old buildings were used as warehouses and owned by
individuals and private companies. "Investors can contact the
owners and deal with them directly," Wisnu said.

Several investors have already linked up with owners of the
old buildings. Seven old buildings on Jl. Kalibesar Timur will be
converted into the Panghegar Heritage Hotel, he cited.

"The city administration will support all investors as long as
they do not change the buildings' design, as our main objective
is to preserve the architectural legacy of the buildings," Wisnu
said.

Due to this factor the project will not be completed soon. "At
the moment the city administration cannot say when the whole Kota
area will be renovated," he added.

The city administration launched the project to revive Kota as
one of Jakarta's tourism locations because there are many old
buildings dating to the Dutch colonial era that it believes would
attract foreign tourists.

There are many tourism sites in Kota, which covers a total of
139 hectares in North and West Jakarta, such as Sunda Kalapa
port, Jakarta's historical museum, the Wayang museum, the Ceramic
museum and the Luar Batang village.

Meanwhile, West Jakarta Mayor Sutardjianto said the city
administration is preparing facilities as well as improving the
environment.

Sutardjianto said his mayoralty is still carrying out a
project to improve Jl. Pancoran and Jl. Petak Sembilan in Kota.
The Rp 2 billion (US$869,565) scheme is expected to be completed
in December this year.

"The West and North Jakarta mayoralties have also cleaned up
the rivers flowing around the area by demolishing illegal
buildings along the riverbanks. We have also relocated or closed
down warehouses in the area," he said.

The mayor said there were 139 warehouses in his mayoralty, 36
of which had been relocated to industrial estates, six converted
for other purposes, and 94 closed down.

He said the mayoralty had sealed the 94 warehouses because the
owners refused to close them down and insisted on continuing
operating from them.

"This means that there are at least 139 old buildings which
are available to be transformed into tourism sites and public
facilities," he said. (yns)