'Orchard Road' shopping belt for Kuningan
JAKARTA (JP): Property giant Ciputra Group is one developer with plans to build on what will be Jakarta's first row of shopping centers in South Jakarta's Kuningan area, a company official said yesterday.
Ciputra Development president director Harun Hajadi, said recently the shopping belt was inspired by Singapore's Orchard Road.
The project will be developed by PT Citraland Adigraha, a joint venture of PT Ciputra Development and Peninsular Holdings B.V., Hong Kong.
The huge project, called Mal Ciputra I, will start on Nov. 20, Harun said.
With a sidewalk up to 20 meters wide along Jl. Prof. Dr. Satrio in Kuningan, the design is also inspired by Orchard Road, Harun said.
Kuningan is part of the well known Jakarta Golden Triangle, which consists of areas along Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Jl. Gatot Subroto and Jl. Rasuna Said, Kuningan.
Like Singapore's famed shopping strip frequented by Indonesians, the road in Kuningan will also boast an uninterrupted line of shopping centers.
The wide pavement is the design's unique feature, luxurious for a city where pedestrians compete for pavement space with hawkers and motorcyclists.
The project will consist of a shopping center of at least 100,000 square meters and two hotels.
A five-star hotel will be operated by the Hong Kong-based Peninsular Group; and a four-star hotel run by Ciputra Hotels, affiliated to the Swiss Bell international hotel chain.
Harun said earlier shopping facilities would be set up in front of the Group's Citra Regency apartments which are already on the road, in line with the shopping belt concept.
US$400 million
The Group's representatives are still tight-lipped about other details. However, according to an Australian publication on 50 key Indonesian projects, Mal Ciputra is estimated to cost US$400 million.
Land appropriation has been completed and construction has just begun. The shopping mall should be completed in late 1998.
Los Angeles-based RTKL International Ltd is one of the architects, according to the Burwood Publishing Pty. Ltd report.
Engineering consultants include PT Wiratman and Associates and the New York-based Thornton-Tomasetti Engineering.
The shopping belt is part of the Kuningan area's continuing renewal, a program the municipality is supervising.
Also being prepared is the diplomatic center in Mega Kuningan, on Jl. Prof. Dr. Satrio.
The moving of hundreds of garment and batik home industries from Kuningan to Bekasi, which is largely completed, was part of Kuningan's renewal. (anr)