TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The capital city's plan to build a hotel in Taman Ismail Marzuki is finally canceled after the city legislative body (DPRD) cut the budget for the arts center revitalization project by Rp200 billion.

“We will delete the hotel plan and evaluate the design,” said city-owned developer PT Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro) director, Dwi Wahyu Darwoto, during a meeting with Jakarta DPRD Commission B, Friday, November 29.

Dwi explained the budget for the project through regional capital injection is presently set at Rp1.6 trillion from the initial proposal of Rp1.8 trillion, which includes the four-star hotel construction.

“We will discuss the design again,” he said.

The DPRD's Commission B secretary Pandapotan Sinaga said the city legislative rejected the hotel construction to be listed as part of the rejuvenation of the city’s iconic.

“We are against the hotel construction, not the revitalization plan,” said Pandapotan.

He reiterated that the park renovation must be kept going as the city administration had disbursed Rp200 billion through PMD this year. The second stage of the PMD distribution is still in progress due to the hotel project.

Recently, many artists voiced rejection against Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan’s plan to build a hotel in Taman Ismail Marzuki as they feared such commercialization will shift its initial function as the arts and creativity center.

IMAM HAMDI