23/05/2025
The Thủ Thiêm New Urban Area, located in Thủ Đức City, Ho Chi Minh City, is becoming a focal point in the real estate market due to its strategic location and strong development potential. With a total planned area of up to 657 hectares, Thủ Thiêm is being developed to become a modern financial, commercial, and service center of Ho Chi Minh City. Key projects such as The Metropole, Empire City, and The River Thủ Thiêm are gradually taking shape, contributing to the transformation of this area. So, who owns these valuable land plots? Let's explore detailed information about the major investors shaping the new face of this region in the following article!
Thu Thiem planning and infrastructure details
Thủ Thiêm is planned into 8 main functional zones, including the financial center, residential area, commercial-service area, park-green space, administrative area, educational area, healthcare area, and public utility area. Notably, the financial center is developed with high density, attracting many economic groups both domestically and internationally. The transportation system in Thủ Thiêm is also well-invested, with key routes such as the East-West Avenue, Crescent Boulevard, Thủ Thiêm Bridges 1, 2, and 3, along with Metro Line No. 1 currently under construction.
1. Functional area No. 1: International financial - Trade center
Located in the north of the central core, functional area No. 1 is planned as a multifunctional financial, commercial and service center. High-rise buildings are concentrated along the Arc Boulevard and the central square, with height gradually decreasing towards the Saigon River and the central lake to ensure aesthetics and beautiful views. Highlights include the Exhibition Convention Center, Symphony Theater, Planning Information Center and Central Square. The Empire City project with an 88-storey observation tower is one of the outstanding buildings in this area.
2. Functional area No. 2: Commercial complex - High-class residential - Sports and entertainment
Located in the south of the central core, functional area No. 2 is divided into three sub-areas:
Key projects include the Stadium, Multi-purpose Gymnasium, International School, Canal No. 4 and Saigon Riverside Park.
3. Functional area No. 3: High-class residential - Multi-functional commercial
Functional Area No. 3 is a high-end residential and multi-functional commercial area located along the Ring Road and the North-South Road, surrounded by the Saigon River, Canal No. 1 and the central lake. The construction density here is lower than on the banks of the Saigon River and the central lake. Highlights include schools, museums and a park along the Saigon River connecting to the pedestrian bridge across Canal No. 1.
4. Functional area No. 4: Mixed Residential - Multi-functional Commercial
Functional Area No. 4 is a mixed-use residential area located in the North of Thu Thiem, including high-density multi-functional commercial buildings concentrated along the Ring Road. The mixed-use residential functions and public buildings gradually decrease in density towards the Saigon River and the large Cat Tre canal. Key facilities here include schools, local administrative offices, community centers, fire stations and fuel stations.
5. Functional area No. 5: Public works – Low density residential Area
Functional Area No. 5 includes the public works area north of East-West Avenue and the low-density residential area south of East-West Avenue along with the works arranged along East-West Avenue and the North-South road. The key works here are the community center, children's palace, urban administrative building, school, fuel station and local administrative agency.
6. Functional Area No. 6: Economy – Technology – Healthcare
Functional Area 6 is located along the East-West Highway and in the middle of the natural canals of the Thu Thiem peninsula. This is where economic activities and information technology research are concentrated. The entire area is arranged with public transport routes to ensure connectivity with other areas. In the south is a mixed-use commercial area, behind are quieter and lower-density residential areas. In particular, next to it is an international hospital, with bus and internal bus routes and a metro line leading to the station area right at the hospital and software park.
7. Functional Area No. 7: High-class residential - Resort - Tourism
Functional Area No. 7 is located at the easternmost point of Thu Thiem, including the eastern residential complex, the mid- to high-rise development area, the resort hotel area and the proposed marina complex at the intersection of the Big Catfish Canal and the Saigon River. In addition, surrounding the marina area is expected to be a complex of commercial centers, restaurants, etc.
8. Functional Area No. 8: Ecology - Environment - Research
This is an ecological development area in the South of Thu Thiem, designed to ensure green space for the entire Thu Thiem new urban area. Functional area No. 8 is mostly mangrove land, waterways are dredged, ecological development projects create green space for the entire urban area. In Ho Chi Minh City, the development of this habitat conservation area is a very important part of the city, and at the same time contributes greatly to the ecosystem of the urban environment. In addition, in the Thu Thiem Urban Area with great development potential, the transportation system here is invested systematically, with key routes such as:
Which investors are pouring into Thu Thiem?
Thu Thiem is currently the area of top interest in the urban and real estate development strategy in Ho Chi Minh City. Thu Thiem's appeal comes from its prime location, well-planned planning, and diverse economic, commercial, and service development potential. This has made many large investors see the opportunity for sustainable profits and commit to investing in projects here.
1. CII - "The King" of Thu Thiem Land
Ho Chi Minh City Infrastructure Investment Joint Stock Company (CII) is one of the enterprises owning the largest land fund in Thu Thiem. Through BT (Build - Transfer) contracts, CII has been assigned 9 land lots with a total area of nearly 96,132 m² in this new urban area. Currently, CII has completed the exploitation of 3 land lots, including projects such as The River Thu Thiem, Lakeview 1 and Lakeview 2. In addition, the company also owns projects such as D’Verano, D’Vernal and Riverfront Residence. Currently, CII has 5 land lots that have not been invested in, showing great potential for future development.
2. Sơn Kim Land
Son Kim Land's The Metropole Thu Thiem project has developed many high-end apartment buildings, along with two Grade A office buildings, The Mett and The Hallmark, meeting new international standards. At the end of last year, this area became bustling when hosting many large music programs such as "Anh trai say hi" and "Anh trai vuon ngan cong gai". With a scale of nearly 8 hectares and a prime location, this project has attracted the attention of investors. At the end of last year, the investor launched the last subdivision, The OpusK. Notably, with a limited number of 150 apartments, some 4-bedroom apartments have a total selling price of more than 100 billion VND, considered the project with the highest primary price record in the Thu Thiem area to date.
3. Phát Đạt – Strategic Partner
Phát Đạt Corporation (PDR) is also a major investor in Thu Thiem. With 16 "golden" land lots in this area, mainly from the Thu Thiem Bridge BT projects, Phat Dat is implementing projects such as The River Thu Thiem and The OpusK. Notably, The OpusK is the project with the highest primary price record in the Thu Thiem area, with an asking price of up to 255-450 million VND/m².
4. Other enterprises
- Novaland (NVL): is one of the major investors in Thu Thiem, with The Water Bay project located on Mai Chi Tho street. The project has a scale of 12 blocks, providing about 5,000 apartments, 3,000 officetels and 250 shophouses. In addition, Novaland also develops the Eco Smart City project in Thu Thiem area, promising to bring modern and convenient living space to residents.
- Quoc Cuong Gia Lai (QCG): Quoc Cuong Gia Lai is the investor of the De Capella project in Thu Thiem. De Capella is a luxury apartment project consisting of 2 23-storey buildings and 3 modern commercial floors, with amenities such as kindergartens, health care areas, landscape lakes and playgrounds. The project has been opened for sale and received great attention from customers.
- Dat Xanh (DXG): Dat Xanh is one of the major investors in Thu Thiem, with many projects being implemented in this area. Dat Xanh focuses on developing high-end apartment projects and commercial-service complexes, to meet the growing demand of the real estate market in Thu Thiem.
Undeveloped land funds
Due to legal, financial and investment problems that have delayed the progress of project implementation, Thu Thiem urban area still has many large areas of land that have not been put into exploitation. A typical example is the Eco Smart City project of Lotte Group (Korea), announced in 2017 with an expected investment capital of up to 900 million USD and expected to start construction in 2022. However, after many years, the project has not shown any signs of starting construction. Recently, the Ho Chi Minh City government has continuously urged the investor to resolve the remaining difficulties. According to the latest information, Lotte needs to fulfill its financial obligations with a land use fee of about 16,000 billion VND for this nearly 7.5-hectare land before it can continue implementing the project. The construction plan is expected to allocate about 5 hectares of land to develop a financial center, a multi-functional commercial - service area and a modern residential area. The highlight of the project is the 50-storey tower, which promises to become a new symbol in the Thu Thiem area.
The slow implementation situation also appeared at the Empire City project, so far the project has only successfully handed over 3 subdivisions including Linden Residences (MU4), Tilia Residences (MU7) and Cove Residences (MU11). Currently, the project has only been granted land use rights certificates for 3 out of 9 total land lots, leading to the fact that the next phases cannot be carried out. In addition, the 88-storey multi-functional building - a symbol of the project - has not yet been built and is still on paper.
Thu Thiem land auction restarted
Recently, in a notice sent to shareholders, CII affirmed its expectation of being approved as the investor of real estate projects on the land lots that the company has received in Thu Thiem, based on the initialed Contract No. 1886/HD-UBND between the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and the enterprise. For the land lots used to pay for the construction volume that CII has completed in the BT project in Thu Thiem New Urban Area, the land value is determined according to the price at the time of signing the preliminary contract, which is April 2015.
The remaining land area, after deducting the area used to pay for the BT construction volume, will be subject to CII's obligation to pay land use fees at the price at the time of signing the official contract No. 1802/HD-UBND in April 2016, along with related financial obligations. After completion, the company hopes to be allowed to implement real estate projects on this area.
In addition to the projects in progress, Ho Chi Minh City also plans to auction 49 land lots in Thu Thiem in the near future, including lots that were auctioned in 2021 but were abandoned. These lots are planned for diverse functions such as residential, commercial, service, educational and cultural facilities. If these lots are successfully auctioned and implemented as planned, Thu Thiem New Urban Area will attract more large investors, promoting the goal of becoming a financial, commercial and cultural center with regional and international influence.
In short, Thu Thiem New Urban Area is witnessing a strong transformation, from a wasteland to gradually becoming a focal point attracting large domestic and foreign investors. Real estate projects here, such as The Metropole, The River Thu Thiem, and Empire City, are gradually taking shape, bringing a new look to the area. With strong development potential, Thu Thiem promises to become a modern financial, commercial and service center of Ho Chi Minh City. The fact that major investors continue to invest in this area is a clear demonstration of their belief in the sustainable development of Thu Thiem.
Achieve Realty VN is always ready to accompany you on your journey to find and invest in real estate in Thu Thiem. With a team of experienced experts, we are committed to providing accurate, updated and detailed information about high-end projects, helping you make the most suitable decision for your needs and budget. Please contact us via hotline for free consultation and 24/7 support, we are always willing to help you find profitable investment opportunities in this new potential urban area!
