Annissa S. Febrina, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A tree has grown inside Kota Bawah building in Jakarta's ""old town"" strip, Kali Besar in West Jakarta. Its roots are invading corners of the interior as sunlight peeks through the decaying roof.
Meanwhile, just across the road, inside the Cipta Niaga building, the ceiling of the second floor is already rotting, while parts of what used to be door and window frames are stacked in a corner.
""It is costly to fix the buildings in accordance with proper heritage conservation methods,"" complained one of the building owners in the area who asked for anonymity.
""On top of that, we have to go through complicated and lengthy procedures before we can make any changes,"" he said. ""And of course, during the process, we have to pay various fees.""
Owning a heritage building is not only a matter of pride.
There is the unwanted bonus of pricey maintenance, one that has been a major setback in the revitalization of the historical area.
The Jakarta Spatial Planning Agency had mulled earlier a series of incentives for investors interested in restoring the old buildings, ranging from tax cuts to relaxation of several building regulations.
However, the effort to streamline the issuance of renovation permit procedures is not on the list.
Cofounder of heritage community Walibatu, Grace Pamungkas revealed that the burden of owning culturally valuable buildings was not only the high land and building taxes.
""When they need to fix parts of the buildings, they have to go through a more complicated procedure,"" she added.
Grace explained that owner of one of the buildings in Kali Besar Timur who wanted to fix his roof was asked to pay an amount for the renovation permit that exceeded the budget for the repair work itself.
""He ended up leaving his roof to rot because he could not afford to pay for the permit,"" she added.
According to a city regulation on cultural heritage, the owner of such a property must consult with the Jakarta Culture and Museums Agency and Jakarta Conservation Team before making any physical changes to the buildings.
After the design of the changes has been approved by all related parties, the agency will issue a recommendation for the owner to process the building conservation permit with the Jakarta Building Planning Supervision Agency.
Both legal and illegal fees await the owners at each phase.
Aside from that, building owners must also pay for maintenance of their neighborhood, from the pavement to street lighting.
""We have to admit that until now there has not been a strong enough reason for heritage building owners to preserve their property aside from a romance with the past,"" pointed out the architectural heritage researcher.
""How long can that survive against the city's economic forces?"" said Grace.
