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residential compound that is specifically designed to cater to the needs of the city’s senior citizens will be established in Cikarang, Bekasi, West Java, about 35 kilometers from the capital city.

The president director of publicly listed developer PT Jababeka, SD Darmono, said on Wednesday that in line with the needs of the elderly living in big cities, Jakarta would need such a place in the future.

“We now see many old couples who live by themselves. Their children are always away, so no one takes care of them. We see this as a business opportunity, to provide a place for them,” he said.

He added that such compounds were common in developed countries. “In our senior housing development, D’Khayangan, seniors can spend their time by doing a lot of meaningful activities, supported by all kinds of services they need,” he said.

Teaming up with Japanese service company Long Life Holding, Jababeka will build a total of 210 vertical housing units and 102 landed-houses in Cikarang.

In the compound, the elderly will have easy access to 24/7 health facilities and receive home health services.

In addition, he said that the surrounding environment would also be built in accordance with their needs, including lush gardens, walking and cycling lanes with proper lanes for seniors who use wheelchairs.

The construction of the compound began in June this year, and is expected to be completed in 2014. “In the first phase of construction, we will build two buildings with 80 senior care units on 5 hectares of land,” he said.

Darmono said that beside hoping to attract local buyers, the company also aimed to sell some units in the compound to buyers from Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

“But first, we have to make sure that local seniors are happy with the service, before promoting it to foreign buyers,” he said.

According to the National Commission for Elderly People, there are more than 22 million senior citizens in Indonesia, mostly living in West Java.

Meanwhile, around 715,000 elderly people live in Jakarta. Although the integrated housing complex will be the first in the city, Jakarta already has dozens of senior centers where the elderly can gather, take part in activities and even go on holiday together.

Besides residential properties, Jababeka also operates an industrial estate in Cikarang that is home to more than 1,500 factories from 30 foreign countries.