Saigon underground mall planned

Ho Chi Minh City can expect its first underground shopping mall by 2020.

According to local news sources, the city’s government has sought central government approval to build a four-level Saigon underground mall beneath a station in its first metro route, from Ben Thanh market to Suoi Tien theme park.

The underground complex will include a shopping mall, walking streets, a square, and other infrastructure.

The mall is said to cover 40 per cent of the 45,000sqm area, starting from/under Ben Thanh market, going along Le Loi St and ending at the city center’s iconic Opera House.

The US$303 million project will be constructed jointly by Toshin Development and other consortiums, including Nikken Sekkei Civil Engineering, Osaka Chikagai, and Join.