Senayan to have another business center
Senayan to have another business center
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Amid concern over the lack of green space in the city, a new
business center functioning as an office block, apartments, and a
shopping center will be developed in Senayan, Central Jakarta,
which is designated as a green area according to the 1985-2005
city master plan.
The new business center, which is now being marketed, is
located on the corner of Jl. Asia Afrika and Jl. Hang Lekir I in
front of Plaza Senayan, another business center, which was also
originally part of the green area.
"The developer promises us that the new business center known
as Senayan City will be opened in August. But I do not know
whether it will really materialize by then," a marketing agent
told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
The agent, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said his
company and five others had been appointed by the project
developer, whose office is at Wisma 77 on Jl. Lt. Gen. S. Parman,
West Jakarta.
If it materializes, the new business center, which will occupy
some 40,000 square meters of land, will join other controversial
buildings, including Plaza Senayan, Hotel Mulia, and Taman Ria
Senayan in the Senayan area, on land which was supposed to be
allocated for sport activities and public green space.
The construction is also in contradiction to the city
administration's plan to add green space in the city from some 9
percent to about 14 percent of the capital's total territory as
specified in the 2010 city master plan.
Chairman of Jakarta's Indonesian Forum for the Environment
(Walhi) Ahmad "Puput" Safrudin stressed that the plan to develop
the new business center confirmed the accusation that the city
administration had no commitment to protecting the environment.
Puput stressed that based on the 1985-2005 city master plan,
the Senayan area, particularly that which is under the control of
the Senayan Sport complex authority, functions as a green area as
well as public space, which cannot be developed for business
functions.
But based on the 2010 city master plan, the land-use has been
converted from a green area to a red area, which can be used for
building a business center.
"The business center will further reduce the already-
diminishing green area in the city. It has also confirmed the
insensitivity of the city leaders to environmental problems,"
Puput said.
Deputy head of the Jakarta Planning Agency Ismail Zubir said
that the development of Senayan City was delayed due to the
economic crisis in 1997. He refuted the fact that the location
was a green area.
A security officer guarding the land on Jl. Asia Afrika said
that the developer of the project had accessed the land for the
project early last month.
"I do not know when the project will be started, but the land
has been surveyed," said the security officer. He said that
originally the land was allocated for building a hotel, but later
it was changed into the super bloc.
Jangga Lubis, an official at the city building supervision
agency also confirmed that license permits for the foundation and
structure of the building had been issued by the office in April
1997 and in August 1997 respectively.
"The construction can be started anytime as the developer has
secured permits for constructing its foundation and structure,"
Jangga told the Post.
Meanwhile, officials from the developer company refused on
Friday to give information about the project.
Profile of the planned Senayan City
1. Location: In front of Plaza Senayan, near Senayan Golf
Ranch.
2. Building concept: integrated super bloc for apartments,
offices, shopping centers, and retail outlets.
3. Entertainment: Cafe, theater, bowling, amusement center,
swimming pool, tennis courts.
4. Land: 40,000 square meters
5. Building area: 200,000 square meters
6. Parking lot: 68,000 square meters for 2,500 cars
7. Shopping mall: 26,000 square meters