Revitalizing Ho Chi Minh City’s Rạch Chiếc National Sports Complex After 30 Years of Dormancy

The People’s Committee of Binh Trung Ward recently held a conference to announce the detailed 1:500 scale planning of the Rach Chiec National Sports Complex.

The Rach Chiec National Sports Complex project is one of the most anticipated and crucial infrastructure projects in Ho Chi Minh City after over three decades of being “dormant.”

Located in Binh Trung Ward, HCMC, the project sits at a vital intersection connecting to the Long Thanh – Dau Giay Expressway, covering approximately 186.78 hectares (after multiple adjustments from the initial 466 hectares).

With an estimated investment of 145.629 trillion VND, the project includes key components such as Vietnam’s largest modern stadium with a capacity of 65,000 to 75,000 seats, an 18,000-seat multi-purpose arena, an aquatic sports center, a football academy, a sports hospital, an exhibition center, and a public park.

The project is proposed to be implemented under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, specifically a Build-Transfer (BT) contract, following the special mechanism outlined in Resolution 98/2023/QH15 dated June 24, 2023, by the National Assembly on pilot special mechanisms and policies for HCMC’s development. The proposed developer is Sun Group’s Vung Tau Sun Company.

Under this mechanism, the investor will self-finance 100% of the construction costs, and HCMC will reimburse them with approximately 360 hectares of land across four different areas, rather than using the city budget.

The project holds the record for the longest “dormant” period in HCMC. Approved by the Prime Minister in 1994, the city aimed to restart it in 2017-2018 for the 2021 SEA Games. However, due to land clearance issues, funding shortages, and legal hurdles, especially after the old BT contract model was halted, the project remained stagnant.

Consequently, the prime land has turned into overgrown fields and spontaneous ponds, significantly impacting the lives of residents in the planned area.

According to the latest update from the HCMC People’s Committee, the project is expected to break ground on January 15. It is one of four major projects set to commence in celebration of the 14th National Party Congress.

The entire project is expected to take 7-8 years to complete. Once finished, Rach Chiec will not only serve as an Olympic-standard sports hub but also as an economic catalyst for the Eastern Creative Urban Area.

Adjacent to the sports complex is the Saigon Sports City urban area, which is already under development. The project is expected to host events like the SEA Games, Asian Games, and regional Olympics, train elite athletes, and establish a new eastern sports hub for HCMC.