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)