Kali Besar was the center of economy and trading of VOC where there were buildings for the manufacture and repair of ships as well as for the laborers or slaves to work. Kali Besar was seen as an elite residential area in the early 18th century and later transformed to become the central area of offices for international trading. One example is The Red Store building. Many houses of Chinese immigrants were once built around the area, but many later burned down during the 1740 Batavia pogrom.