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