JAKARTA. The Jakarta administration is set to turn North Jakarta’s Luar Batang area into a maritime-themed tourism spot by removing unlicensed buildings, effectively evicting many current residents from the historic coastal area.

The city aimed to build a large plaza that could accommodate as many street vendors as possible as part of the area’s rehabilitation, Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama said, adding that the measures would start in mid-April.

"We have to arrange the plaza in such a way that people can enjoy walking around there and see Kota Tua [Old Town]. We also have to prepare a spot for the vendors to do their business so the place won't look bad," he told journalists at the City Hall on Thursday.

The city would push for companies to fund the project as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Ahok vowed not to remove the Luar Batang Mosque, which had a legal permit, but to revamp the area by providing wider access roads for visitors. The administration would only remove unlicensed houses built near the river and sea, while no historic buildings would be demolished.

The mosque, near Sunda Kelapa port, includes the tomb of prominent Islamic cleric Al Habib Husein bin Abubakar bin Abdillah Al 'Aydrus. Pilgrims from around the country come to visit the tomb and the mosque.

The city administration has expressed its hope that the revamp and the plaza would make the area more attractive with both domestic and foreign tourists.

The revamped Luar Batang area would connect with the historic Sunda Kelapa port so people visiting the tomb could also spend time at the port.

Demolishing unlicensed buildings is deemed necessary for the city to install sheet piles at rivers and along the coast in the Luar Batang area.

The sheet piles would prevent tidal floods, Ahok said, referring to Pasar Ikan in the Luar Batang area, which is prone to flooding.

"If we don't install sheet piles in Pasar Ikan, water will flow into the area and may inundate Jakarta," Ahok said. (Callistasia Anggun Wijaya)

Editor: Barratut Taqiyyah Rafie