TJERIA PELANGI SOERABAIA-KOE
“Joyous Colors of Our Surabaya Rainbow”
REVITALIZATION PROGRAM FOR THE AREA OF
KEMBANG JEPUN
(PANGGUNG – AMPEL)
Background
Back in 2003, the government officially launched Surabaya's new point of interest, in the form of a Chinese-atmosphered food-court. This phenomenal establishment also marked the revival of a long-hybernated culture in Indonesia, namely the Chinese culture. Hundreds of food sellers occupied the street of Kembang Jepun. The long abandoned area seemed to have returned back to life. Unfortunately, the next journey of this area is not as good as it have been expected. Nowadays, out of 750 meters space occupied, only 30% remains. Amidst the backward trip, both the City Government and several components of the society are triggered to make another attempt of reviving this public facility; this time, in synchronize with ways to maintain this city's identity to return to its initial beauty. The beginning of March 2007is planned to be the start of "Area Restoration Program", which then suggested by the writer as the "Joyous Colors of Our Surabaya Rainbow" Program. This program will rejuvenate three significant areas, namely: The Chinatown, Ampel Mosque Area (Islamic atmosphere), and Panggung Street which is occupied with shophouses. It is then due to the severe damages in nearly all buildings that make the paint contractors as the main sponsor of this program become reluctant in executing the program within short times since credibility and products's image are at stake. On the other hand, fortunately, it is the area of Kembang Jepun, the one occupied with shophouses, that has been ready to be the object of this program's execution, both in terms of work-force readiness and financial matters. During the meeting in the early week of April, the Vice Mayor of Surabaya has decided to postpone the D-Day and execute the limited program first, instead. This is also aimed to give example to the inhabitants of other areas to also posses the concern and awareness to restore their own area. The hardest part of the program to do is not on the painting itself, but rather on the building restoration, since there are numerous damages caused by ages of maintenance neglection.
The previously set date, April 22nd, 2007, which has also been set in the city's agenda and publiced in mass media as the end of the area restoration, is now altered to be the starting point of the program as a whole. Out from three areas, it is the area of Kembang Jepun, known as Chinatown, that has the most significant part in the restoration program. It is the dominant role of this city area in terms of the city's economy and position in the city's plan, not to forget its shophouses' development record that become parts of discussion in this paper.