Senayan regreening to cost Rp 20 billion

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Bung Karno sports complex management (BP GBK) will begin the regreening of the complex's eastern parking lot in Senayan, Central Jakarta next month, at a cost of Rp 20 billion (US$2.36 million).

BP GBK's director for infrastructure affairs Makdar said on Wednesday that the project would be completed within eight months.

"Tender of the project is still underway now. We expect that the project will commence in the middle of next month, or by the end of the month at the latest," Makdar told The Jakarta Post.

He said the project would involve removing the asphalt from the 80,000 square meter parking lot and paving it, the establishment of 80 artisan wells, fencing and the planting of 500,000 trees.

BP GBK now manages some 279 hectares of land in the Senayan area, which was originally allocated for sporting activities and was hoped to serve as the "lungs" of the city. But a number of commercial centers have been built in the vicinity of the sports complex.

Among the commercial buildings are Plaza Senayan, the Jakarta Convention Center, the Hilton Hotel, the Mulia Hotel, Ratu Plaza, and the Panin Bank building.

A number of environmentalists earlier expressed concern over the use of land in Senayan.

Governor Sutiyoso, whose administration was involved in a dispute with the State Secretariat, said previously that BP GBK had stolen his idea (the regreening project).

The dispute between the city administration and the secretary of state -- which controls the BP GBK -- was sparked by Sutiyoso's wish to manage the sports complex.

The governor said that the administration should control the complex as this was in line with the implementation of regional autonomy.

The State Secretariat, however, argued that it should control the complex because it was part of the national heritage.