Proposal to move Can Tho Stadium to O Mon

Photo caption — Can Tho Stadium has a capacity of up to 50,000 people, is uniquely designed with a pan-shaped curve, and is one of the five largest stadiums in Vietnam. Photo: Phan Tuan Anh/VNA

Accordingly, the Department of Construction proposed that the City People's Committee consider the policy of relocating Can Tho Stadium and the City Sports Center to Sub-area 17 of the regional medical, educational , cultural and sports urban sub-region (old O Mon district).

Mr. Le Tien Dung, - Permanent Deputy Director of the Department of Construction of Can Tho City, said that the stadium and sports center in Cai Khe Ward currently only organize very few activities. Meanwhile, the city does not have a free trade zone or economic zone. Relocating the stadium and sports center is reasonable, creating an attractive complex to attract investment.

In the past, the stadium only had 1-2 events per year, mainly motorcycle racing. The prime land in the city center was left vacant all year round, wasting resources. To attract investors, the city needs to create clean land in the center, making it easier to invite businesses to participate.

Can Tho Stadium is located along the Hau River, on Le Loi Street, and is one of the city's iconic sports facilities. The stadium was once known as the largest in Vietnam with a capacity of up to 50,000 seats, surpassing My Dinh Stadium. The stands are designed in a basin shape, the exterior is covered with trees, and the 6m wide circular walkway helps spectators move conveniently.

In 2019, the stadium was renovated, installing plastic seats in stands B, C, D, reducing the capacity to about 30,000 people. Although it once met the standards for hosting major events, this place has long been without professional football activities.

Since the dissolution of Can Tho Club, no team has registered to play at the stadium since 2023. The scoreboard is old, many items lack maintenance and the stadium hardly hosts international sporting events. The last time the Vietnamese team played here was in 2016.

Besides football, the stadium occasionally hosts motorcycle races, but the frequency is very low. The degraded infrastructure and inefficient exploitation make the project increasingly wasteful.

According to the Department of Construction, the Cai Khe ward area, the location of the stadium is currently the "golden land" of the center of Can Tho city. However, this land fund has not been exploited effectively due to the disproportionate use function. Moving the stadium to Subdivision 17 will help restructure the urban space, reserving central land for the development of high-quality trade, services, health care - sports, meeting new development needs.

In December 2023, the People's Committee of the old Can Tho city announced a list of 56 projects to attract investment in the period 2023-2025, with a vision to 2030. Of which, project No. 51 is related to upgrading and repairing Can Tho Stadium into a service, medical, and sports complex, with an area of about 6.5 hectares. However, given the fact that the stadium is ineffectively used, the plan to relocate and redevelop the land is considered more feasible in the long term.

With the above proposal, Chairman of Can Tho City People's Committee Truong Canh Tuyen requested the Department of Construction to coordinate with relevant units to carefully evaluate and harmonize the needs of urban development and sports activities, ensuring compliance with the city's general planning. Can Tho City is currently continuing to consult with relevant parties and perfecting the plan to ensure feasibility and long-term effectiveness in land use.

From an expert perspective, Dr. Tran Huu Hiep - an economic expert, believes that Can Tho Stadium is not only a simple sports facility but also a cultural space, a place associated with the memories of many generations. The relocation needs to have a scientific basis, survey results and overall impact assessment, which is not clear in the current proposal of the Department of Construction.

Moving such a meaningful project to the Sub-division 17 area, 20 km from the center, requires clear and convincing answers to questions about traffic infrastructure, ancillary services and especially the actual flow of users, before making a decision. Otherwise, this costly project will soon become a "concrete oasis".

This expert also raised the issue that economic value needs to be viewed in the long term, linked to public welfare and spiritual values. Modern urban development must harmonize commerce, culture and community activities, and cannot sacrifice public space in exchange for short-term revenue.

In the context of the Government continuously emphasizing the need to combat waste, the proposal to relocate a well-used building is unnecessary, especially when many other key projects of the city such as the Oncology Hospital, the Western Ring Road, etc. are still being implemented slowly and need to be focused on to complete.

Dr. Tran Huu Hiep emphasized that before discussing relocation, it is necessary to clarify the unit responsible for assessing the impact, calculating feasibility and real benefits. Because a hasty decision can cause the city to lose a symbol without gaining commensurate value.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/de-xuat-doi-san-van-dong-can-tho-ve-o-mon-20251110175917967.htm