When Will the Phung Khoang Public Parking Project Finally Launch?

Stalled Project

To meet parking demands, enhance local planning and architecture, and provide employment for cooperative members, the Phung Khoang Public Parking Lot project was granted its initial investment certificate by the Hanoi People’s Committee in 2008, with a planned implementation period of 2008–2009.

In February 2009, the Thong Nhat Cooperative (Thong Nhat Co-op) received a 50-year land lease agreement for the project site in Phung Khoang village, Trung Van commune (Tu Liem district).

However, over the next decade, the project barely progressed. According to the Thong Nhat Co-op’s report, delays were attributed to the land’s condition: a waterlogged rice field filled with construction waste, surrounded by barriers with no access roads.

Tran Quoc Cuong, Chairman of the Thong Nhat Co-op’s Board, explained that while the co-op invested in the parking lot, the access road was part of a separate project—the construction of a road to Hanoi University (formerly the University of Foreign Languages)—led by the Tu Liem District People’s Committee (now under the jurisdiction of Dai Mo Ward). The road project’s stagnation hindered the parking lot’s development, as the co-op feared investing without assured access, risking financial loss and jeopardizing the livelihoods of its 1,574 members.

However, the Nam Tu Liem District People’s Committee’s 2018 Report No. 756/BC-KH&ĐT disputed these claims, stating: “The investor’s reasons for delays are unfounded. The Hanoi People’s Committee allocated 12,865 m² of land in Trung Van commune to the Thong Nhat Co-op in 2009 (Decisions 610/QĐ-UBND and 1217/QĐ-UBND). Nine years later, the project remains unapproved, with no land clearance efforts. Delays stem from both external factors, such as the unfinished access road, and internal factors, including the co-op’s lack of proactive measures to accelerate the project.” Due to prolonged inaction, in 2021, the Hanoi People’s Committee directed the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to inspect the project and clarify responsibilities.

Resolving Roadblocks

To address parking needs and protect the leased land, the Thong Nhat Co-op rented a 3-meter-wide private access path at 290 Nguyen Trai Street. They installed a substation, clean water supply, concrete roads, and a temporary covered parking area, serving locals and generating income for members.

Currently, the site functions as a temporary parking lot, accommodating hundreds of vehicles daily, including over 100 early-morning delivery trucks supplying Phung Khoang and Trung Van markets. This highlights the urgent need for a standardized parking facility with adequate fire safety measures.

To align with Hanoi’s urban planning, the project requires adjustments, including a mix of outdoor parking and smart parking solutions to increase capacity, underground garage construction, and integrated urban services.

“These changes increase the project cost tenfold, requiring the co-op to reassess the master plan and secure funding from its 1,574 members—a key reason for delays,” noted Mr. Cuong.

With the Hanoi University access road now under construction and the parking lot’s entrance taking shape, the co-op has proposed an adjusted master plan for the “Phung Khoang Public Parking Lot with Urban Services.” Mr. Cuong urges authorities to expedite approval processes to ensure timely project implementation.

Despite repeated inquiries, the Dai Mo Ward’s Department of Economics, Infrastructure, and Urban Development has not provided comment on the project.