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Bintaro residents bemoan loss of green area to commercial project
More than half of the open green space has been sealed off with fences, enclosing where the BXc extension is commencing. Trucks are rumbling in and out. Cranes and other heavy equipment have been deployed.
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Children play at the BXc Park, located next to the Bintaro Xchange shopping mall, in Pondok Aren district, South Tangerang, Banten, as heavy equipment operates at a nearby construction site on July 21. Over half of the park is closed to the public as construction for a second shopping mall, BXc 2, is currently under way. (JP/Robert Yota)
J
ust a month ago, the Bintaro Xchange Park was packed with adoring fans who danced the night away in a concert featuring popular local bands like Nidji, Fourtwnty and Naif in the 2019 Prambors Youth Fest concert.
Crowds watched the performances in the lush green park roughly the size of a soccer field located next the Bintaro Jaya Xchange shopping mall, one of most popular landmarks in South Tangerang, Banten.
The park is a big hit among local residents who want to have a breezy outdoor experience. During weekends, everyone from all ages and classes enjoy the open space along with the facilities provided at the park to have a picnic on the grand lawn or play with their children.
However, today saw a different situation with the greenery. More than half of the open green space has been sealed off with fences, where the BXc extension is commencing. Trucks are rumbling in and out. Cranes and other heavy equipment have been deployed.
All that remains is a ‘grand lawn’ sprawling across the mall’s east entrance and the jogging track next to the motorcycle parking lot. The space has shrunk and the jogging track is reserved only for members of the shopping mall’s reward program, BXc Privilege.
To access it, a visitor needs to register for a BXc Privilege card and pay Rp 60,000 [US$4.30]. The card holder is entitled to discounts at certain BXc tenants, a Rp 30,000 electronic money balance and access to the jogging track from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
A frequent visitor, Ersan Muslih, 35, expressed regret over the transformation of the park into a commercial site. The Bintaro resident visits the park once a week with his wife and their two toddlers.
