New Official Residence for Jepara Regent in Traditional Joglo Style, Built with Rp4 Billion

Jepara - New Official Residence for Jepara Regent in Traditional Joglo Style, Built with Rp4 Billion Budget. The Jepara Regency Government has begun preparations to build a new official residence for the Jepara Regent, designed in the traditional Joglo architectural style characteristic of Jepara. The project is planned to cost approximately Rp4 billion from the Jepara Regency Regional Budget (APBD).

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The construction of the new official residence follows the repurposing of Pendopo Kartini, which has officially functioned as the Kartini Museum since November 15, 2025.

Until now, Jepara Regent Witiarso Utomo has been living in the official residence within the pendopo complex and is currently only using one special room in the ndalem (inner area) of the pendopo.

Head of the Jepara Regency Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency (DPUPR), Herry Yulianto, stated that the project is currently in the stage of preparing tender documents.

“This stage is still about completing the files. Once that’s done and the tender is awarded, the process will proceed,” he said when contacted on Friday (15/5/2026).

According to Herry, the document preparation is targeted for completion in mid-June 2026. After the administrative process is finished, physical construction of the official residence will begin immediately and is scheduled to be completed by November this year.

The new official residence will be located on the north side of Pendopo Kartini, precisely in the former area of the Official Residence of the General Section of the Regional Secretariat (Setda) Jepara, the canteen, and the warehouse. These buildings are currently being demolished to prepare for the construction.

“The location will be at the former general section official residence, canteen, and warehouse, which we have already demolished, and it will become the site for the Regent’s official residence,” he explained.

The regency government has also relocated furniture and household items from the demolished buildings to other locations. The new official residence will be built on a 408-square-meter plot of land with a design based on the traditional Joglo house typical of Jepara.

“The building will use the Joglo Jepara concept, with a budget of Rp4 billion prepared from the Regional Budget (APBD),” Herry revealed.

In addition to building the official residence, the Jepara Regency Government will also reorganize access at the rear of Pendopo Kartini. One change involves relocating the rear gate, which was previously on the east side of the canteen building.

The new gate is planned to be located between TK Pertiwi and the existing canteen building.

Previously, the Jepara Regency Government had planned to build the official residence on the field behind Pendopo Kartini. However, that plan was hindered by the status of the rear gate of the pendopo, which is located within a cultural heritage area.

The gate has historical value because it was once used by RA Kartini as an access point to interact with the native population in the residential area around the pendopo.

Joglo Jepara Concept and Target Completion by End of 2026

The new regent’s official residence will feature Joglo Jepara architecture, characterized by the distinctive carvings of the “City of Carving.” The Jepara Regency Government targets the tender process to be completed by mid-June 2026, while physical work is scheduled to finish by the end of November 2026. The entire Rp4 billion budget comes from the 2026 Regional Budget (APBD).

Netizens’ Criticism: Better Used for Road Repairs

Several netizens have questioned the urgency of the project amid the central government’s push for budget efficiency. Account @Oct seven wrote, “I’m sorry, but we should be more sensitive to the current economic situation and the government’s program that encourages efficiency everywhere.”

A similar comment came from @Mas_Taufiq, who highlighted road conditions on the Kelet Jepara route: “Wouldn’t it be better if the budget was used for the road toward Kelet Jepara as part of the ‘Jepara Mulus’ program? Later we’ll have a new official residence but the roads will still be bumpy,” he wrote.

Account @Bang Andi argued that the local government should prioritize properly. “I disagree. With the economic conditions still unclear, priorities should come first. They say they’re being efficient, so prioritize the budget scale,” he wrote. Meanwhile, @H A R I S added, “The roads are still damaged, this is just wasting the budget.”

Between Official Needs and Public Scrutiny

On one hand, the repurposing of the old official residence into a museum has created an urgent need for an official residence for the regional head. On the other hand, the public views projects like this as often symbolizing extravagance amid demands for efficiency. As of the publication of this article, there has been no official response from the Jepara Regency Government regarding the criticism circulating on social media.