Menteng park development to cost Rp 55.5b

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The City Parks Agency revealed Tuesday that the administration was set to convert the historic stadium of city soccer team Persija into a community park, for an estimated cost of Rp 55.5 billion.

"The development of the park is slated to start early next year and it will be completed by the end of 2006," agency head Sarwo Handhayani told reporters at City Hall.

Handhayani said the park would be equipped with three futsal fields, 12 badminton courts, six basketball courts, a jogging track and skating space.

"There will be a playground for children and a plaza for visitors to hold various indoor activities, like aerobics, even yoga," she said.

The entire area of the park will be able to accommodate a total of 1,200 visitors.

The park will also have a basement with parking space for at least 200 cars.

Governor Sutiyoso said the conversion of the poorly managed historic park into a community park was meant to cater for residents' need for space to conduct community activities.

"The conversion is for the greater interest of residents. We won't convert the park for use as commercial premises," he asserted.

The planned parking area that would take up space in the park, he said, was necessary to reduce chronic traffic congestion in the area.

"When the parking lot is operational, we will restrict on- street parking in the area," he said.

Traffic congestion is common in the area around the stadium with many building tenants and visitors parking on the streets. Parked vehicles on Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto often occupy two of the street's three lanes.

Notwithstanding Sutiyoso's statement that the stadium would not be turned over to commercial interests, however, the proposal outlined by the parks agency allocates space for cafes, restaurants and street vendors.

The planned conversion has been criticized by many people who assume a hidden agenda on the part of the administration to develop the area for commercial purposes, in addition objections from heritage lovers.

The stadium was one of the country's first modern city parks and was designed by architect P.A.J Moojen during Dutch colonial period in 1910.

A gubernatorial decree on the preservation of heritage buildings and historic sites classified the stadium, originally called by the Dutch name Voetbalbond Indische Omstreken, or Viosveld, as an historic site.

Since 1961, the stadium has become the home training ground for the Persija soccer club.

The administration said that it would provide a new home training ground for the soccer team in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta in exchange for the Menteng stadium.

In addition to the Menteng park, the parks agency is currently finalizing the construction of the Prince Diponegoro fountain and statue on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta, and the shifting of the Kartini statue from Jl. Diponegoro to the National Monument Park (Monas).