T

he Surakarta municipal administration has pledged to turn an old house seized by the central government in a corruption case into a public cultural space that could become one of the city’s heritage icons.

Surakarta Mayor FX Hadi Rudyatmo said the pledge was made following the possibility that the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) would approve a grant proposal submitted by his administration to the AGO for the ownership of the house, known as Dalem Joyokusuman.

“Once it is granted, Dalem Joyokusuman will be registered as a cultural heritage site,” Hadi said in Surakarta, Central Java, on Friday, adding that the proposal had been made twice, first on Nov. 27 and then on Dec. 6, 2012.

With a spacious hall, he said, the house would be utilized as a public exhibition center and a place to rehearse arts performances. It is expected to be the city’s next heritage icon and cultural center after the Central Java Cultural Park (TBJT) Surakarta and the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Surakarta.

“Given its ancient construction, it is a magnet for arts and culture lovers,” Hadi said, adding that his administration was ready to allocate a special budget for the purpose.

Surakarta Municipal Planning Agency cultural heritage conservation division head Mufti Raharjo expressed a readiness to support the mayor’s plan. He also expressed commitment not to change the shape of the building although some changes to the functions of its rooms might be carried out.

“We will promote it vigorously to help strengthen the positioning of Surakarta as a city of heritage and the arts,” said Mufti.

Dalem Joyokusuman is a legacy of King Pakubuwono (PB) X of Surakarta Palace, who ruled the kingdom from 1893-1939. Initially, the ownership certificate was under the name of GPH Joyokusumo, one of PB X’s sons, after whom the house was named.

The ownership of the house, which is located in Gajahan subdistrict, Pasar Kliwon, has since changed from one name to another.

Its latest owner was Widjanarko Puspoyo, a former State Logistics Agency (Bulog) head who was involved in a corruption case worth Rp 11 billion. Due to that case, the house was later seized by the state.

Since then it has been put up for auction on four occasions with no buyer forthcoming, until the auctions were stopped because the city administration claimed it as a cultural heritage site as it was more than 50 years old.

The acquisition process of the house is currently still in progress as the administration still has to complete the required documents. Among those documents required is evidence that the building meets the status of a cultural heritage site.

It was also for this reason that the head of the AGO’s special task force settlement unit for seized goods, Feri Mupahir, visited Surakarta City Hall on Thursday.

“All the supporting data has to be completed before the house is granted to the Surakarta municipal administration,” Feri said.