Kelapa Gading undergoing breakneck development

Kelapa Gading in North Jakarta is a relatively new district compared to other parts of the city, but it has experienced the fastest growth in terms of development.

Kelapa Gading Mall III, which was inaugurated on Thursday, is only one of several commercial outlets located in the district, which also has dozens of housing complexes and many shops.

As a matter of fact, no other district in the city has that many residential complexes or a five-kilometer long line of shops like Kelapa Gading.

Kelapa Gading was established in January 1990. The district was formerly part of the Koja district. The 16,330 hectares of Kelapa Gading district are divided into three subdistricts: Kelapa Gading Barat, Kelapa Gading Timur and Pegangsaan Dua.

No clear references have been made to Kelapa Gading's progress as development began far before the district was established.

PT Summarecon Agung, the largest property developer in the area, for example, has been operating in Kelapa Gading since 1976, according to data issued by the assets bureau of the city administration.

But people living in the area said that rapid development of Kelapa Gading began in the early 1990s after the three subdistricts were officiated into the Kelapa Gading district.

Several residents who have been living there before the 1970s said that until early in the 1980s, most of Kelapa Gading was still a swampy marshland used for agricultural purposes by locals.

Slamet, 42, who was born in West Kelapa Gading subdistrict, on the riverbanks of Sunter, said that back then, there were still many farmers who cultivated the marshland for growing rice and various leafy vegetables.

At that time, the residents, who were mostly ethnic Betawi, named the current three subdistricts as Kampung Pedongkelan, Warung Jengkol and Kampung Pegangsaan Dua respectively.

They also said that the area was a tempat jin buang anak (a place for genies' children), a local term to describe how quiet the place was.

But that has all changed now.

On both sides of the main roads are shops and other commercial facilities, such as offices, supermarkets, car dealerships and banks.

The names of main roads in the district start with bulevar (boulevard), such as Jl. Bulevar Kelapa Gading, Jl. Bulevar Barat and Jl. Bulevar Timur.

In addition to the luxury Kelapa Gading Mall, Diamond Supermarket and Goro and Makro wholesale outlets, there are 115 car dealerships, 67 electronics stores and 46 branches of banks, according to data at the district head office.

Most luxury home complexes are constructed behind these commercial facilities. Residents are doubly spoiled as their houses are within walking distance of all amenities; however, they will no doubt use their cars to go shopping for their needs.

The housing complexes include Vila Gading Indah, Bukit Gading Mediteran, Vila Sanur, Pondok Gading Utama, Gading Kirana, Gading Nirwana, Kelapa Gading Permai, Taman Gading Indah and Visma Gading Permai.

There are also several condominiums and apartments, while more are under construction.

Dozens of developers operating in Kelapa Gading include PT Summarecon Agung, PT Bangun Cipta Sarana, PT Wihara Realty, PT Nusa Kirana, PT Sari Kebon Jeruk, PT Taman Pegangsaan Indah, PT Petrik El Cipta and PT Bukit Gading Gria.

Kelapa Gading is not just for the private sector. A lot of the houses were built for civil servants and military officers. Among them are homes for employees of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, the North Jakarta mayoralty, the Navy, the Army, presidential guards and the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Development in Kelapa Gading is still going on as there are 404.99 hectares of vacant land in the hands of developers.

-- Bambang Nurbianto