More owners move into Taman Rasuna
JAKARTA (JP): More owners of Taman Rasuna Apartments in Kuningan, South Jakarta, can move into their new homes as four of the 16 towers have been completed said the developer.
Santoso Ramelan, president director of PT Catur Swasakti Utama, said 80 percent of the 953 apartments in the four towers have been sold. Catur Swasakti is a subsidiary of the Bakrie group headed by Aburizal Bakrie.
"We're optimistic that we can soon sell the remaining 20 percent," he said after the opening of the new units.
The smallest, one bedroom, apartment measuring 57 square meters cost Rp 184 million (US$76,095.9). The largest, and most expensive, apartment has three bedrooms and measures 92-square meters, it cost Rp 339.2 million.
Santoso said the prices were "affordable" for Indonesians.
He said other apartments sold for around Rp 900 million each, they were mostly bought by expatriates.
The developer claimed that the 14-hectare 16-tower apartment complex with 3,850 units was the largest in Southeast Asia.
At a meeting with apartment owners at Sahid Jaya hotel Sunday, Santoso urged them to check with one another "in case you are sitting next to your future neighbors". The event included a symbolic presentation of keys to new owners by Aburizal's mother, Rosmania Bakrie.
"You will form a residents' organization to set rules yourselves," Santoso told owners in the packed Puri Agung room.
Santoso said he was sure the apartment market would continue to improve, which was one reason banks were attracted. The project is supported by 10 banks.
A source at the company said several of the buyers had bought their units from other owners. The original owners would have made at least a 30 percent profit, he said.
The units were initially sold from Rp 125 million to Rp 242 million when the plan was announced in 1993.
A couple of the new owners said they would not live in their apartment, but would rent it out.
"We will stay there for a while...but we already have somewhere to live," said a civil servant pensioner. He and his wife Retno W.S., who works at a private South Jakarta hospital, were optimistic about rental prospects.
Leasing is allowed once ownership is transferred.
But selling units is only allowed if approved by Catur Swasakti Utama, Santoso said.
"Approval is mainly needed to regulate price," Santoso said. "If units are sold too cheap it will give the apartments a bad image, so we would rather buy them ourselves," he added.
The remaining 11 towers should be completed in the next six months.
Santoso said some of the owners were expatriates.
Santoso also said office towers would be built on land leased from the municipality for 48 years. The developer has also renovated the Sumantri Brodjonegoro sports facilities in line with an agreement with the city.
Also under construction are a mall and sport facilities. There will be parking for 4,148 cars. (anr))