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.