The city administration has allocated Rp 24.5 billion (US$2.2 million) this year to spruce up BMW Park (Clean, Humane and Dignified) in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta.

Jakarta Sports and Youth Agency head Taufik Yudi said Rp 4 billion would go toward engineering design (DED) and Rp 500 million toward an environmental impact analysis (Amdal), with the remainder for construction.

"The DED will determine the total value of BMW Park. We will set targets for a couple of years to come. We expect to finish it in 2011," Taufik said.

The city administration announced it would build an international sports stadium, two outdoor soccer fields, a jogging track and an urban forest on the site.

The budget needed to build the stadium is estimated to reach Rp 1 trillion.

Yayat Supriatna, an urban planning lecturer at Trisakti University, said the city administration should give the public detailed information about DED, such as the costs of experts, land measurements and feasibility tests.

"Macro design usually costs between Rp 800 million and Rp 1 billion. A DED costs more because the more detailed the design, the more expensive it is," he said.

Yayat said residents from Central, North and West Jakarta could make use of the park for socializing and outdoor activities.

"BMW Park could be an alternative sport center to National Monument (Monas) park and Senayan sport complex. It could also be a new waterfront tourist attraction," he said.

BMW Park is the second largest park in the city after 80-hectare National Monument (Monas) park in Central Jakarta. It was built during Governor Wiyogo Atmodarminto's administration (1987-1992).

The park was locally known as Kampung Bayam (Spinach Kampung) in the early 90s after undergrowth was cleared on the site to make way for planted vegetables.

Last August, North Jakarta municipality public order officers evicted about 4,000 illegal squatters from the park.

The 66.6-hectare park consists of a 25.7-hectare park, a 30.7-hectare lake and 7.2 hectares of urban forest.

The administration plans to retore the park as part of its effort to increase the city's green area by 55,540 square meters.

The administration also plans to set up water ski facilities on the lake.

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