The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has submitted to the Municipal Party Committee’s Standing Board a proposal to research and implement a project to construct a new administrative center for the city.
Following the administrative boundary merger, Ho Chi Minh City remains a special urban area and the country’s economic hub. The city aims to become a world-class metropolis and a leading financial, commercial, educational, scientific, technological, and innovative center in Southeast Asia.
According to the People’s Committee, the city’s government agencies are currently scattered across multiple locations, failing to meet the required scale and functional needs. Coordination and collaboration among units are challenging, leading to obstacles in directing, managing, and executing tasks across departments.
The People’s Committee proposes the central lake area in the new Thu Thiem Urban Area as the site for the new administrative center. Photo: Anh Phuong |
They highlighted that many offices are dilapidated, lack adequate space, and fall short in terms of auxiliary facilities, technical infrastructure, and information technology. These shortcomings significantly impact the quality of services provided to citizens and businesses, underscoring the necessity of constructing a new administrative center.
Regarding the project requirements, the People’s Committee intends to utilize public investment funds and build the center in a central location for easy citizen access. The center is designed to accommodate approximately 7,000 officials and employees, with a planned reduction to around 5,800 by 2030 through streamlining measures.
Three potential locations have been proposed for the new center: the former People’s Committee office in Thu Duc City, with an option to expand into an additional 7.73 hectares in Thanh My Loi ward; the Ha Tien Cement Factory land in Truong Tho ward, covering 11.6 hectares, with a potential expansion to 19.6 hectares; and a cluster of land lots in the new Thu Thiem Urban Area, spanning 9.6 hectares adjacent to To Huu Street in An Khanh ward.
Maximum total floor area and corresponding maximum number of officials for each land option. Source: Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee |
The evaluation highlights that the former People’s Committee office in Thu Duc and the land lots in the new Thu Thiem Urban Area have readily available spaces and convenient infrastructure connections, allowing for immediate construction.
Meanwhile, the Ha Tien Cement Factory land has the potential to expand by 8 hectares and offers easy access to Metro Line 1, making it suitable for a smart administrative model integrated with services and green spaces. However, as the site is currently used for industrial purposes, addressing pollution and land clearance would be time-consuming.
Therefore, the People’s Committee plans to establish the administrative center in the central lake area of the new Thu Thiem Urban Area. This location offers convenient transportation connections but requires adjustments to previously approved urban planning schemes.
If the proposal is approved, the People’s Committee will direct the review and adjustment of the planning with the aim of commencing construction in the first quarter of 2026.
Since 2015, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has considered constructing a concentrated administrative center at 86 Le Thanh Ton, combined with the lots behind it, covering a total area of 1.8 hectares, providing workspace for nearly 1,700 officials and employees.
The planned construction site included the entire street block adjacent to Le Thanh Ton, Pasteur, Ly Tu Trong, and Dong Khoi streets, housing the Departments of Information and Communications, Construction, and Agriculture and Rural Development.
The design and architectural planning for this location have already been competitively selected as per the plan. However, following the administrative boundary merger, Ho Chi Minh City now has 7,356 officials and employees, according to statistics. With the planned reorganization and streamlining of the workforce, this number is estimated to decrease to 5,885 (a reduction of approximately 20%) by 2030.
Consequently, the 1.8-hectare street block is no longer sufficient to accommodate the needs of a concentrated administrative center.
Anh Phuong
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