The HCMC Department of Transport in Dispatch 17816 sent to the municipal government last Friday says it has received a proposal from En-Parking Japan JSC to build a car park at Lam Son Square.

 

The nine-storey parking building of over 6,040 square meters could accommodate 168 cars of four to seven seats and would use a smart parking system with robots to automatically arrange vehicles.

 

The proposed form of investment is build-own-operate (BOO). The time for construction and operation is expected to be 30 years.

 

Parking fees are estimated at VND27,000 per car an hour, VND468,000 a day and nearly VND12 million a month.

 

The total cost of this project is VND161 billion, with 20% of it funded by the investor and 80% coming from commercial loans.

 

Commenting on this project, the HCMC Department of Zoning and Architecture says its location would become a green park behind the Opera House, a cultural and historical work of great importance to the city, as per the detailed urban construction plan of scale 1:2000 for the existing downtown area. Therefore, the construction of a nine-storey parking building is inconsistent with the planning, says the department.

 

Meanwhile, the HCMC Department of Finance in Dispatch 8744 dated November 8 asks for reconsideration of parking fees and clarification of the project’s financial plan.

 

The Department of Transport says the current plan for transport development in the city until 2020 defines Lam Son Square as a location for parking with an area of ​​0.1 hectare. Yet, the detailed urban construction plan for the existing downtown says this location is part of a green park.

 

Thus, the proposed high-rise car park at Lam Son Square is not consistent with Article 15 of Decree 15 on public-private partnership and not eligible to be developed in this form of investment.

 

The transport department has found six locations for parking buildings: September 23 Park in District 1, Ly Thuong Kiet Residence in District 10, Gia Dinh Park in Phu Nhuan District, District 8 Coach Station, Cho Lon Coach Station in District 6, and Tan Phu Coach Station in Tan Phu District.