Monas' greening project could fail: Official

Monas' greening project could fail: Official

JAKARTA (JP): Plans to make the National Monument Park a city
forest could fail if there were no investors to fund the
underground parking lot, an official said Tuesday.

Prawoto S. Danoemihardjo, the city's assistant secretary for
economic and development affairs, said the current parking lot
was temporary pending the underground parking lot's construction.

If cars continue to be parked around the park the greening
project would fail because the space would be used as a car park,
he said.

"The current parking lot is for only three to five more years.
By then, we expect the underground parking lot will have been
completed," Prawoto said.

The underground parking lot is part of a government plan to
renovate and beautify Monas park and rename it Medan Merdeka
park.

It will be turned into a city forest with various kinds of
trees on 60 of its 80 hectares.

Facilities like an underground commercial center and an open
air theater are planned for the park.

Several tree species have been planted to make the area
Jakarta's lungs.

The project, which should be completed in 2005, is being
financed by the city and state budgets and public donations.

Unfortunately, the administration has not got any proposals
for the underground parking lot's construction, Prawoto said.

He said he did not know why there was a lack of interest.

Underground parking will be in the south part of the park.

The project plans are integrated with the future subway system
and the subway will pass through the area.

Underground corridors will be linked to stations of the Mass
Rapid Transit.

The plan stands but a presidential decree is yet to be issued
for the subway project.

Prawoto said the rest of the project would begin soon despite
there being no investors for the parking lot.

The Medan Merdeka area consists of Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan,
Utara, Barat and Timur. The city has already ruled the area is
primarily for government buildings. (ste)