Sutiyoso to take firm action against mall builder

Sutiyoso to take firm action against mall builder

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso promised on Tuesday to
take stern action against the developer of the Senayan Trade
Center (STC), which is currently under construction, if it did
not also build an indoor basketball hall inside the center.

"I will take stern action. The developer promised to build an
air-conditioned basketball stadium for spectators inside the
center," Sutiyoso told reporters.

He said the center, which was given its principal permit
during the administration of city governor Surjadi Soedirdja and
state minister/state secretary Moerdiono in 1994, did not violate
the city's zoning regulations.

He said the zoning of area around the center, located to the
left of Plaza Senayan, had been changed from a green area into a
commercial area.

"But I asked the developer to build a sports facility. That's
why I gave the permit," Sutiyoso remarked.

He said the development of the seven-story Senayan trade
center was needed to cover the maintenance costs of the Bung
Karno Sports Complex, as part of the trade center will be rented
out.

Separately, a senior city official said on Tuesday the
developer only planned to build a mall and there was no plan to
build a sports facility in the center.

"It's just a mall. You can see from the site blueprint," the
official who asked not to be named, told reporters.

The official said the developer who is the daughter of former
minister of justice and state minister/state secretary Muladi
asked Sutiyoso for a building permit for the construction, which
was planned to be named Wisma Basketball.

The proposal was approved since Sutiyoso is also the chairman
of the Indonesian Basketball Association (Perbasi), the official
said.

"Sutiyoso was 'cheated'. The developer only used the name
Wisma Basketball for their own interests," the official said.

Another source said the STC development violated the city's
zoning regulation, which was stipulated in Bylaw 6/1999, since
the area around the Bung Karno Sports Complex had been designated
as an open, green area.

The source said the development of a building could still be
tolerated if the developer also built a sports facility.

"The area around STC is no longer zoned as a commercial area
but has been rezoned as a green area according to the city's
spatial zoning plan up to 2010," the source said.

Meanwhile, a big banner was seen in front of the planned
center on Jl. Asia Afrika, South Jakarta, stating: "This
luxurious super block is being marketed."

A signboard near the banner stated that the STC was being
built by PT KIMS.

Commenting on the issuance of the building permit for STC,
City Council Speaker Edy Waluyo asked Sutiyoso on Tuesday to be
consistent in upholding the law.

"If the permit given was for a sports facility but then it was
discovered that the developer was building a warung (food stall),
it should be demolished," Edy told reporters.

Besides the STC, the administration also plans to demolish an
exhibition building in the eastern parking lot of the sports
complex.

But some city councillors opposed the demolition and
questioned why the administration only intended to demolish the
building owned by a small company PT Anggara and not the building
owned by the larger company PT City Neon. Both companies were
issued permits to build temporary structures in the sports
complex and had violated their permits by building permanent
structures. (jun)