Mayoralty to demolish Senayan building

Mayoralty to demolish Senayan building

JAKARTA (JP): The Central Jakarta mayoralty has threatened to
demolish a building within the Bung Karno Sports Complex as the
owner had violated its construction permit, an official said here
on Monday.

Central Jakarta Mayor Andi Subur Abdullah noted that
the site where the building is constructed is zoned as public
space. The building is located south of the Jakarta Convention
Center

"The mayoralty expects the company (who owns the building) to
demolish the building. Should it refuse to do so, we shall take
stern action by demolishing it this weekend," he remarked.

He said the mayoralty had warned the building management PT
Anggara on June 25 and on Aug. 7 to stop construction. However,
the company continued regardless.

PT Anggara claimed that it had received a permit to construct
a temporary structure on the 7,000-square-meter area from the
Bung Karno Sports Complex Management Board, which manages the
area.

The management board, established by the state secretary,
reportedly approved the proposal of PT Anggara early in June.

In the proposal, PT Anggara said that the construction of the
building was aimed at "helping small-scale companies to exhibit
their products at the same location as the Jakarta Convention
Center at a lower rate."

However, it had violated the permit by erecting a permanent
building from cement and steel.

Once the building is leveled, the mayoralty plans to restore
the site as part of the Senayan green belt, Andi said, adding
that the city needed more green areas to counter air pollution.

Currently, several commercial buildings are located on about
109 hectares of the 279-hectare Bung Karno Sports Center Complex,
including Plaza Senayan, Hotel Mulia and Jakarta Convention
Center.

The mayoralty's decision to demolish PT Anggara's building was
applauded by the city administration and the City Council.

The deputy chairman of Commission B for economic affairs,
Agung Imam Soemanto, admitted that PT Anggara had sent its
employees to ask councillors to approve the construction of the
building.

"The councilllors could not approve the request considering
that PT Anggara had violated the building permit," he remarked.

Separately, Governor Sutiyoso voiced the City Council's
support for the mayoralty.

"It is about law enforcement; the mayoralty should go ahead
with its plan to demolish the building," he remarked.

Previously, Sutiyoso claimed that the current management board
had mismanaged the sports complex, referring to some
irregularities.

He said that in accordance with the autonomy law, the right to
manage the Bung Karno Sports Complex should be transferred to the
city administration.

The Indonesian Sports Committee (KONI), however, also staked
its claim over the area.

The state secretary has not made any decision on the matter.
(04)