Cần Thơ’s Proposed Administrative Center Raises Question: Why Build New Offices When Existing Space Is Underused?

The debate over where to place Cần Thơ’s administrative center has quickly become a broader question: should the city build new offices when existing government facilities may still have unused capacity?

Readers responding to Tuổi Trẻ’s earlier report have put forward sharply different choices. One reader noted that the Tây Đô Cultural Center in Cái Răng had long been planned as an administrative center and questioned whether moving the proposal to Ngã Bảy would be effective. Another urged officials to take a long-term view, pointing to the area around Ninh Kiều Wharf, which had served as the administrative center of the former province under French rule.

Transport was another recurring concern. Suggestions included evaluating connections to the airport and a future high-speed railway. One reader called for public consultation to be supplemented by workshops and specialist conferences, allowing scientists and planning experts to challenge the proposals and recommend the strongest option.

Other readers focused on facilities already built after administrative units were reorganized. Vị Thanh, in the former Hậu Giang area, was suggested because it has well-built offices that are not being used to their full capacity, as well as broad roads and convenient transport. Cái Tắc or Châu Thành were also proposed for their transport connections, available land and room for urban growth. By contrast, another reader favored Ngã Bảy because of its relatively central location along National Highway 1 and its convenience for residents.

Cần Thơ’s current administrative offices are concentrated largely in Ninh Kiều. On September 7, the city’s Department of Construction announced a public consultation on the draft Cần Thơ master plan to 2050, with a vision to 2075. The plan covers all 103 commune-level administrative units and related marine areas. The department said the published material remains a consultant-prepared draft for public comment, not a final decision on the administrative center’s location.