HCMC’s largest shopping center opened to business

Shoppers buy discount luggage at the Parkson Hung Vuong Plaza in HCMC's District 5 on the opening day Friday

By QUOC HUNG



(SGT-HCMC) Hung Vuong Plaza, HCMC’s largest shopping center, started operations in busy District 5 Friday and has since attracted large numbers of shoppers as well as curious window-shoppers.

The US$45-million Hung Vuong Plaza comprises of a luxury commercial complex and two 30-floor blocks with 276 apartments.

The complex, surrounded by Hung Vuong, Ly Thuong Kiet, Nguyen Kim and Pham Huu Chi streets of the vibrant district, has total floor space of nearly 93,000 square meters.

The first eight floors of each block will be for luxury boutiques, entertainment facilities, restaurants, educational and sport facilities and a cineplex.

The project is developed by Saigon Trading Construction Co. 5 and Hung Vuong Corp. with an 18:82 footing.

Tran Le Nguyen, general director of Hung Vuong Corp., said the complex was nearly full with major tenants like Parkson, Megastar Media, ILA and California WOW Xperience. Parkson is the first tenant that opened to business the same day of Hung Vuong Plaza’s inauguration.

This is the third department store in Vietnam and the second one in HCMC of Parkson Corporation Sdn Bhd, a leading shopping mall operator of Malaysia.

The four-story Parkson Hung Vuong Plaza, 1.5 times the size of its current Parkson Saigontourist Plaza in District 1, has total floor space of 24,000 square meters.

The ILA English Training Center has leased more than 1,200 square meters on the fifth floor to open 18 classrooms.

MegaStar, a joint venture between Envoy Media Partners Limited (British Virgin Islands) and Phuong Nam Corporation of Vietnam, will soon open eight cinemas on the seventh and eighth floors. The 9th floor of the commercial area will be home to a swimming pool.

Nguyen said the apartment section of the building would be completed some time this year and that more than 93% of the apartments had been sold out.