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AKARTA: The Jakarta administration says it will demolish Lebak Bulus Stadium in South Jakarta early next year to build a depot for the city’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system.

Jakarta Youth and Sports Agency chief Ratiyono said that the city would soon allocate funds to buy land for a new stadium.

“We are asking for Rp 110 billion [US$13 million] for the land purchase,” Ratiyono said.

The administration has not determined a site for the new stadium. Earlier this year, the agency said it was considering three locations in South Jakarta, two on Jl. TB Simatupang and one on Jl. Ampera.

Governor Fauzi Bowo, however, later said the new stadium would likely be built in Bintaro, South Tangerang.

The city decided to tear down Lebak Bulus after the design of the MRT was changed to require one square hectare for the depot, up from 7,000 square meters.

The expansion will also affect the nearby Lebak Bulus bus station, which will be converted into the main MRT station.

Work on the first phase of the 15.5-kilometer MRT project linking Lebak Bulus area and the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta is expected to begin early next year and to finish by 2016. — JP