Senayan regreening to cost Rp 20 billion

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.