City outlines five-year housing plan

Blocks of tenement flats in HCM City's Tan Phu District provide 580 apartments to low-income people. The city plans to have grander housing facilities in the next five years. — VNA/VNS Photo Manh Linh

HCM CITY — A new report from the HCM City People's Committee envisions more high-rise buildings, improved infrastructure and the elimination of slums in the city by 2015.

The report outlines achievements of the housing development programme in the last four years and goals for the 2011-15 period.

One of the goals is to reduce population growth in districts 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, Phu Nhuan, Binh Thanh, Tan Binh and Tan Phu.

A project to resettle families who live in slums along canals and and another to build new residential areas will be carried out over the next five years.

The Thanh Da Peninsula will be developed into a significant leisure centre and resort area, according to the city's report.

Old apartments, including the Nguyen Cu Trinh, Ngo Gia Tu (District 10), and Ly Thuong Kiet (District 11) buildings, will be replaced with high-rise complexes.

In addition, the city centre comprising districts 1, 3,4, and a part of Binh Thanh District will contain more modern buildings built with advanced technology.

The density of construction will be reduced in the city centre and green areas will be expanded.

The Nguyen Thien Thuat apartment building and Ly Thai To housing compound in District 3 will be refurbished and built into modern high-rise complexes, according to the report.

Infrastructure will be upgraded in District 1's Wards 4, 5, 6, Tan Dinh Ward's 28B Ma Lo area, Cau Kho Ward's Da Lu Vien area, and Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward's Ma Lang area.

The new urban area encompassing the districts of 2, 7, 9, 12, Thu Duc, Go Vap and Binh Tan will see large-scale comprehensive infrastructure and technology projects.

Limiting small-scale projects and single-house plots will also be another goal.

New urban areas

The new urban area will be developed in four main directions: east, northeast, south, and northwest.

The nuclei of the northeasten area will include a 913-ha high-tech park, 800-ha national universities area, 382-ha national historical and cultural area, and a 5,000-ha science and technology urban area.

Priority will also be given to social housing and dormitories for students at universities in District 9 and Thu Duc District.

The eastern area will form the 737-ha Thu Thiem urban area, the 1,600-ha Hiep Phuoc Port urban area in Nha Be District and the 826-ha Can Gio eco-urban area.

District 2 will contain 28 housing development projects with a total scale of 2,250ha, including the 437-ha residential quarter in Thanh My Loi Ward.

There will also be 58 housing development projects in Can Gio District with a total area of 5,511ha.

The southern area will focus on developing upscale housing in Sai Gon South (3,000ha in districts 7, 8, and Binh Chanh), and new residential quarters in District 7.

The nuclei of the northwest will be the 6,000-ha Tay Bac – Cu Chi urban area, and some residential quarters in districts 12, Binh Tan and Binh Chanh near industrial parks.

Social housing, houses for workers, and inexpensive housing for low-income families will also be located in the northwestern area. — VNS

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City finds 5,900ha sitting idle

HCM CITY — More than 5,900 ha of land in HCM City remains unused despite being issued land-use certificates, the city's land inventory board has said in a report.

Most of it was in suburban districts like 12, Thu Duc, Binh Chanh and Nha Be.

By 1 January this year, 4,200ha of land granted to businesses and other economic entities, 1,300ha to State and Government agencies and more than 300ha to joint venture with foreign partners hadbeen left unused, the report said.

Most of them were residential plots or meant for public use or for production and business activities.

The economic downturn, which caused financial problems for the owners, stagnated the property market and led to changes in land compensation policies, was the major reason for the phenomenon.

The board also suggested that relevant authorities should constantly monitor the implementation of projects earmarked with land, cancelling those that are delayed or appear speculative in nature.

The city has more than 209,000ha of land, including 118,000ha for agriculture.

The authorities have issued land-use certificates for over 84,500ha while another 635ha remain unlicensed and unused.

The latter figure is 1,630ha lower than in 2005 and comprise mostly infertile areas on hillocks and polluted areas near industrial parks in the districts of Cu Chi (317ha), Binh Chanh (173ha), Hoc Mon (43ha) and District 9 (42ha). — VNS

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Cables to be buried in 15 streets in HCM City

HCM CITY — A new system of underground cable network will be installed in HCM City's districts 1, 3 and Tan Binh to replace the powerlines and telecom cables interlacing the city streets.

Fifteen streets in districts 1, 3 and Tan Binh are expected to be clear of powerlines and telecom cables, an eyesore of the city for years.

Tran Van Thanh, deputy director of the city Telecommunication Control Agency said the underground work would be completed at the end of this year.

Concerted efforts by relevant authorities including telecommunication, road construction, electricity and urban hygiene will be made to ensure the project schedule, according to the official.

No newly-built pavement will be excavated for the cable underground work.

Non-profit university gets first building

LONG AN — The non-profit Tan Tao University, situated inside the Tan Duc Industrial Park in southern Long An Province has inaugurated its first building.

It is the first of 64 buildings planned to be built in the next 15 years in the 103-ha campus at a cost of around US$400 million, said Dang Thi Hoang Yen, chairwoman of the HCM City Stock Exchange-listed Tan Tao Investment and Industry Corp , which owns the university.

Yen also announced full scholarships for all 500 students to be admitted to the 2010-14 course.

Ascott Ltd organises Blood Donation Day

HCM CITY — The Ascott Limited, a serviced residence operator in Viet Nam has joined with the Viet Nam Red Cross Society to organise a humanitarian blood donation on August 20 and 27.

Some 200 Ascott staff and residents staying in the 5 Somerset serviced residences in Ha Noi and HCM City would join in the event. The programme aims to help improve the public awareness of voluntary blood donation. — VNS

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