Dong Nai, one of Vietnam’s wealthiest provinces, has taken a major step forward in building its new provincial Political-Administrative Center. The facility is expected to break ground on September 2 on a site spanning approximately 105 hectares.

According to Lao Dong newspaper, the Dong Nai People's Committee recently issued a plan for an architectural design competition for the center. The competition aims to identify an optimal design reflecting modernity, uniformity, and local identity.

Eligible participants include domestic and international architectural consultancy firms qualified under Vietnamese law.

The competition budget is approximately 3.11 billion VND (about 125,000 USD), including 900 million VND (36,000 USD) for the first prize, 700 million VND (28,000 USD) for second, and 500 million VND (20,000 USD) for third. Up to five additional proposals will each receive a portion of a 500 million VND (20,000 USD) support fund.

The new center is to be built on a 105-hectare site in Bien Hoa City, within the converted area of the Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Park.

At a June 11 meeting with stakeholders, Vice Chairman Ho Van Ha of the Dong Nai People's Committee assigned the Department of Construction to prepare for the project launch on September 2.

The project is budgeted at around 6.8 trillion VND (approximately 267 million USD) and will be implemented under a public-private partnership (PPP), supplemented with public investment.

The master plan includes three administrative buildings ranging from 8 to 20 floors (on 10.5ha), a three-story convention center (3.1ha), a 14ha central square, a 0.4ha outdoor stage, and a 4ha water plaza with an integrated marina.

Additional facilities in the plan include an education zone (4.2ha, 6-8 floors), commercial-entertainment complex (nearly 7ha, 4 floors), mixed-use service area (nearly 9ha, 5-8 floors), a hospital (2.1ha, 15 floors), high-rise residential area (10.6ha, 15 floors), low-rise housing (1.66ha, 5 floors), and a cultural-sports center (0.5ha, 5 floors).

The design competition is expected to yield an optimal architectural solution aligned with the province’s goal of developing a modern, integrated, and sustainable urban space. The center will redefine the landscape of Bien Hoa City and meet administrative, civic, and economic needs.

According to 2024 data, Dong Nai ranks among Vietnam’s top five provinces by economic scale (GRDP), alongside Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Binh Duong, and Hai Phong. Dong Nai’s GRDP, measured at 2010 constant prices, exceeded 260.2 trillion VND (about 10.2 billion USD), up 8.02% year-over-year - surpassing the 6.5%-7% target and last year’s growth of 5.41%.

In addition, the province’s GRDP per capita reached approximately 148.94 million VND (around 5,860 USD), surpassing the target of 148 million VND.

PV