Medan to redevelop historic City Hall

Medan to redevelop historic City Hall

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra

Plans are in the pipeline to redevelop the historic Balai Kota
(City Hall) into an area called the City Hall Town Square at a
cost of more than Rp 80 billion (US$9.5 million).

Municipal spokesman Arlan Nasution said on Friday that the one
hectare site, located at the Jl. Balaikota and Jl. Raden Saleh
intersection, would later host a 15-story boutique hotel, a
shopping center and various support facilities.

The project, which is slated to begin this year, will be
financed by local investors and is expected to be completed in
two years time, he said.

He said the project was of great importance to the
municipality as it would generate revenue and provide much needed
employment.

"The area in the heart of Medan city is projected to become a
center of activity for Medan residents," he told The Jakarta
Post.

Under the plan, the historic Balai Kota building, which is one
of the major landmarks in Medan, will be restored without
altering its original shape, he said.

Marketing director of PT Multi Arta Semesta (MAS), Darsono
Hady, the developer of project, explained that the new City Hall
Town Square would be characterized by European and classical
architecture.

He also said various facilities such as shopping and
entertainment centers would be incorporated in the project,
including an exclusive "City Walk", a City Hall convention center
with a colonial era atmosphere, the Deli River Cafe and much more
besides.

For those who preferred a different ambience, the hotel and
the City Walk would be surrounded by cafes and restaurants, he
said.

High-class boutiques, fashion outlets, gift shops, bookstores
and supermarkets would line the City Walk.

To enliven the shopping atmosphere, exhibitions, fashion shows
and other events would be staged periodically.

When asked his reaction to the project, the deputy speaker of
Medan's legislative council, Yunus Rasyid, expressed his support
provided that it did not damage or detract from protected
buildings.

He expressed the opinion that as a metropolitan city, it is
high time that Medan had a center worthy of the city's status.