Stop developing real estate in Ancol, councilors plead

Stop developing real estate in Ancol, councilors plead

JAKARTA (JP): Expansion of a residential area in Ancol, North
Jakarta, should be stopped to avoid disrupting operations at
Tanjung Priok seaport, councilors said.

Chairman of Commission B for economic affairs Syarief
Zulkarnaen said on Wednesday that the seaport needed more space
to facilitate the loading and unloading of cargo.

The real estate division of PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol manages
three housing projects in the 168-hectare area, namely Puri
Marina, Puri Nusa Dua and Puri Jimbaran. These are eventually
planned to form part of a waterfront city: .

Rather than building residential areas, Syarief said it would
be better to move a warehouse in Cakung, East Jakarta, nearer to
the port.

If Indonesia wants "an international and competitive seaport
such as Singapore's," Syarief of the United Development faction
said, the real estate development should be stopped.

However, Syarief said he had yet to obtain details from the
company on the progress of the real estate expansion. "There are
signs of continued construction (of the residential area) towards
Tanjung Priok seaport," he said.

Tanjung Priok port now extends to some 604 hectares, with
facilities including quays, open storage areas, cargo handling,
container handling, and passenger terminals.

In 1991, a warehouse at Tanjung Priok was moved to Cakung
given inadequate space at Tanjung Priok.

The company is part of the PT Pembangunan Jaya group, with
more than 80 percent of its shares owned by the city
administration.

The residential areas in Ancol include townhouses, sports
facilities, public halls, parks and docking facilities for
yachts.

Syarief added that the city administration must also review
the urban design guidelines regarding the development of the
northern areas of North Jakarta. He said various "interests" of
large companies influenced the drawing up of the guidelines in
Ancol. (07)