Investors with insufficient financial ability must be eliminated to call on others for underground parking lots, said chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong on Wednesday.

He was speaking at a meeting with relevant agencies on the implementation of car parking lot projects in the city.

According to HCMC traffic development plan by 2020, area for static traffic system comprising bus stations and parking lots is 1,146 hectares, of which 520 hectares will be for automobile parking, reported a representative of the Department of Transport.

The city has determined four locations to build underground parking lots in District 1 including Le Van Tam Park, Trong Dong Stage, Tao Dan Cultural Park and Hoa Lu Stadium.

Besides, it is expected to have an extra of three others below ground in the planned expansion of downtown area comprising District 1, 3, parts of District 4 and Binh Thanh. Places being considered are September 23 Park, Ben Thanh Market, Quach Thi Trang Park, Bach Dang Wharf, Nguyen Hue Street and Chi Lang Park.

Other 29 parking lots with the area of 508 hectares will be allocated to districts but positions have yet to be specified.

Reporting the progress of four lots in District 1, the Transport Department said that the project under Le Van Tam Park invested by the Investment Development for Underground Space Corp has the capacity of 2,024 motorbikes, 1,260 cars and 27 buses, trucks and minibuses.

Total investment capital is VND1,748 billion ($77 million). However the investor is unaffordable for implementation now.

The project under Trong Dong stage by investor Dong Duong Group has completed technical design assessment.

Another under Tao Dan Park by Vingroup and Saigon Sports and Culture Investment Company able to accommodate 1,198 automobiles and 896 motorbikes has the total capital of VND1,055 billion ($46.48 million). So far the project has just established technical study report.

Besides developing projects beneath the ground surface, the Transport Department has worked with investors to suggest building of multistory assembled parking lots at Ly Thuong Kiet residential area in District 10, Gia Dinh Park and in the campus of hospitals.

The agency proposed the city People’s Committee to instruct the Department of Finance to issue a preferential mechanism to lure investors to develop parking lots.

HCMC has no underground plan on works’ story and connectivity at present. Therefore, the Department of Transport proposed the committee to ask Department of Planning and Architecture to specify underground construction norms. 

From that, the Transport Department will have a basic to guide investors to develop parking lots under September 23 Park, Nguyen Hue Street and areas along Saigon Riverbank, Ton Duc Thang Street and Le Minh construction site.

Concluding the meeting, chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong required the Transport Department to seek more positions to develop underground parking lots, meeting surging demand. In addition, the Transport Department must closely coordinate with the Department of Planning and Investment to ensure the progress of underground space exploitation projects.

Mr. Phong asked the Transport Department together with the Construction Department to do statistics on parking capacity of existing underground parking lots, usually under buildings, and post data on the internet for citizens to be aware of.

The city will not permit building of multistory assembled parking lots at Lam Son Square Street in order not to affect urban landscape. Assembled lots will be used for parking only not for commercial purposes, the Charmain added.

The Department of Transport should work with four investors of underground parking lots in District 1 and help them solve difficulties. In case, they are unaffordable for implementing the projects, the agency should eliminate them and choose other investors, he instructed.

Relevant agencies should gather investor assistance policies and report to the city People’s Committee to solve or submit to the Government for approval.

SGGP