According to the proposal, following recent administrative mergers, Ho Chi Minh City has become a special urban area comprising 168 commune-level administrative units. However, the current system of state administrative agencies remains scattered across multiple locations, lacking adequate scale and functionality. Meanwhile, the design for the Ho Chi Minh City Administrative Center must accommodate workspace for approximately 7,000 government officials and civil servants.
Regarding the proposed location for the new Administrative Center, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has proposed three potential sites, including the former headquarters of the Thu Duc City People’s Committee, and an expanded area incorporating the adjacent sports and physical training land in Thanh My Loi Ward, totaling approximately 7.73 hectares; the expanded area from Ha Tien Cement Joint Stock Company’s Thu Duc cement grinding plant in Truong Tho area, Thu Duc Ward, covering around 11.6 hectares; and a cluster of land lots in Thu Thiem Urban Area, adjacent to To Huu Street in An Khanh Ward, spanning roughly 7 hectares.
The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee assessed that each proposed site presents its own advantages and limitations. Specifically, both the former Thu Duc City People's Committee headquarters and the cluster of nine land lots in Thu Thiem Urban Area offer available land and relatively well-developed infrastructure, allowing for immediate commencement of construction. However, the site would require a thorough review and careful allocation of administrative offices, as its current capacity may not be sufficient to accommodate the projected number of civil servants.
Ha Tien Cement factory’s site offers strong advantages in terms of connectivity, with direct access to Metro Line No. 1 and Vo Nguyen Giap Boulevard. It is considered suitable for a smart administrative center model that integrates public services with green space. However, its development may face delays due to the significant volume of preparatory work required. The site is currently classified as industrial land, necessitating environmental remediation, land clearance, and a zoning change to public administrative use.
The proposed location near the central lake of the Thu Thiem Urban Area benefits from being situated at the heart of Ho Chi Minh City's emerging central area. Nonetheless, the main limitation is that it does not yet align with the existing urban planning schemes currently in effect.
