Nguyễn Huệ Pedestrian Street in District 1, where an underground plaza and shopping area is planned. VNS Photo Ngọc Diệp

HCM CITY — The HCM City Department of Architecture and Planning has sought feedback from other city agencies and experts on creating an underground plaza in the downtown area.

The plan envisages a square and commercial area under the Opera House, which will be connected with a park that is near Bạch Đằng Wharf on Tôn Đức Thắng Street.

The first level will have commercial space including shops and stores, and the next two and three will have parking space.

There will be escalators and elevators near bus stops in the area.

Beneath Mê Linh Roundabout will be a garden, coffee shops, restaurants, and retail stores.

The area will be connected to an underground parking lot beneath Tôn Đức Thắng Street.

HCM City had already approved a detailed plan for developing its downtown area in 2012.

The underground plaza will spread over 930ha, and will have an underground traffic system with two metro stations on line No 1 -- Bến Thành Market and Opera House – and a pedestrian walkway.

More than a dozen other projects alongside the metro line are under construction.

The project also hopes to reduce the traffic congestion in downtown roads.

The department said the underground development is urgently needed due to the metro system.

Lê Hoàng Châu, chairman of the HCM City Real Estate Asociation (HoREA), said underground developments would be a new investment channel for developers and investors in general.

The first underground trade centre beneath the metro line near Bến Thành Market is being built on 45,000sq.m with a shopping area and square. VNS