Thamrin beautification plan on hold due to crisis

Thamrin beautification plan on hold due to crisis

JAKARTA (JP): The devastating economic crisis has forced
Governor Sutiyoso to postpone indefinitely his plan to tear down
fences and widen sidewalks along Jl. M.H. Thamrin, to make the
street "friendlier".

Sutiyoso said Thursday that building owners along the
thoroughfare were so hard hit by the crisis that the
administration "did not have the heart" to ask them to take part
in the beautification project.

"I still want to go ahead with the project when the crisis is
over. The postponement doesn't mean that my desire to beautify
the road is dead. We will continue planting flowers at Hotel
Indonesia's traffic circle," he said.

The project, scheduled to start next month, would affect 20
high-rise buildings, excluding embassies, along the 1.6 kilometer
Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta, one of the city's main roads.

Initially, some affected property owners raised objection to
the plan because they were worried about security once part of
their land was acquired for the project and no tall fences would
be tolerated.

Under the administration's plan, called the Thamrin Walk, the
fences between high-rise buildings and the sidewalks would be
torn down to widen the walkways and create a friendlier
atmosphere for pedestrians.

The sidewalks are to be expanded to between seven meters and
eight meters wide.

The administration has budgeted Rp 13.2 billion ($1.5
million), while the 20 building owners would contribute another
Rp 8.5 billion.

"If I insist on pressing ahead with the project, it would mean
I'm selfish," Sutiyoso said. (ind)