O

nce celebrated as a key program of former Jakarta governor Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo, ailing Blok G at Tanah Abang market is finally to be torn down to make way for a new building.

Blok G, which underwent several attempts at revival during Jokowi'€™s tenure, has been abandoned by most of its tenants because of a lack of custom.

The president director of city-owned market operator PD Pasar Jaya, Djangga Lubis, said over the weekend that his company had analyzed the reasons behind Blok G'€™s persistent failure to attract customers despite renovation and heavy promotion in 2013.

'€œAlthough the market has great potential, we found that the building lacked facilities such as adequate parking space for cars as well as other facilities for the comfort of the customers,'€ he said.

Djangga revealed that the front part of the building was also suffering from land subsidence. '€œThe land has subsided 20 to 25 centimeters and is continuing to sink,'€ he said.

Unlike other blocks at Tanah Abang market, the busiest textile center in Southeast Asia, business in Blok G has been persistently slow.

In 2013, in a major move intended to bring some order to Tanah Abang, Jokowi relocated hundreds of street vendors to Blok G. Later he instructed Pasar Jaya to hold various entertainment events, including offering a car as a grand prize to lure customers to the building, which is located next to Tanah Abang railway station.

Jokowi also often took guests to Blok G to promote the building.

However, business remained sluggish, even after the city administration installed escalators.

Some of the relocated vendors, who were awarded a six-month rent holiday, left the building before those six months were up.

Some stayed, but complained of low incomes.

Djangga said the building had great potential because it was very close to the Tanah Abang commuter line station. '€œHowever, many people prefer walking further to Blok A or F,'€ he said.

The analysis, he went on, suggested that buyers were reluctant to visit Blok G because the wares sold there did not have a competitive edge.

Djangga explained that the new building would have spacious parking spaces and air-conditioning. '€œThe market will continue as a traditional market with various vendors, ranging from fashion to groceries, but the facilities will be better,'€ he said.

He added that his company was now designing the new building, as well as looking for temporary relocation sites for the remaining tenants. '€œWe'€™re looking for somewhere close to Blok G,'€ he said.

'€œThe design will be ready around August,'€ he said.

One tenant, 22-year-old carpet shop owner Saiful Mukmi, said that the land in front of his store had sunk visibly.

'€œWe have lifted the floor at least three times,'€ he said, demonstrating the gap between his store and the balcony, which, he went on, flooded every time it rained heavily, forcing him to close the shop.

He said, however, that he was worried about the planned relocation. '€œIf we are moved to the next building, that would be fine,'€ he said, referring to the new building in front of his shop.

Grocery store owner Sutarsono, 57, said Pasar Jaya should rebuild only the front part of the building. '€œThe back part is only 10 years old. I don'€™t see that it needs to be renovated,'€ he said.