HCMC investors eye multi-level parking model

They were speaking at a dialogue held yesterday by the City Transport Department to collect opinions related to developing parking projects, including underground and multi-level parking lots, in the city.

Vu Huy Thang, general director of Bil Parking, said the multi-level parking model has many advantages, since it operates automatically, does not require a large area, and has simple steel structures.

Under the model, elevators will be used to lift or lower vehicles to the level where they are supposed to park. This system can be used for office buildings, multi-storey tenements, or villas that have many cars but do not have enough room for them.

Currently, the model is being used at the Thao Dien Building in Binh Thanh District and the Hai Van Nam Building in District 1.

It is also expected to be used for the underground park in the Trong Dong Stage area in District 1 in the future, Thang said.

Many investors said they were ready to develop the model at locations suggested by the authorities.

Artists' impression of the underground parking lot to be built underneath Le Van Tam Park in District 1 (Photo: IUS)

The Planning and Architecture Department highly appreciated the model and said it can be made available on streets with wide pavements, contributing to easing the shortage of parking spaces in the city.

Bui Xuan Cuong, deputy director of the Transport Department, said he would refer all opinions raised at the meeting to the city People’s Committee for consideration. He also said he would suggest that the authorities facilitate investors in developing their underground parking projects.

The department is planning to set up underground parking lots outside of the city’s downtown, and will seek places suitable for the multi-level parking model, he said.

Administrative concerns

According to several investors, the biggest difficulty facing them now is cumbersome administrative procedures.

Le Tuan, general director of Underground Space Investment and Development Joint Stock Company, said that since his company launched a project to build an underground parking in Le Van Tam park, the company was often told that there is no antecedent for such a project.

The company has since faced problems leasing land, applying for land- use rights certification, and getting approval for the design and the fire prevention and control plan, he said.

IUS held the ground-breaking ceremony for its underground parking project in August 2010, but the project was soon halted due to procedural problems (Photo: VnExpress)

It took eight years for the company to obtain a certificate of land use rights, he said.
It took another company two years to negotiate over land rent for another project, expected to be developed in the Trong Dong Stage. After overcoming many other difficulties, the project’s investor expects to develop it within this year.

Meanwhile, two other projects, in Tao Dan Park and Hoa Lu Stadium, have showed no signs of completing administrative procedures, which has discouraged many investors who have expressed interest in the project.

Nguyen Thi Bao Quynh, deputy general director of the Dong Duong Group Co Ltd, said the authorities should allow the underground parking project’s investors to regulate parking fee rates.

Under a current regulation, the car parking fees ranges from VND5,000-VND10,000 ($0.48) per entry, but in practice, the rates are far higher.

Many investors also proposed that the authorities should consider their parking projects as public ones and thereby give them incentives in land rent and in obtaining bank loans.