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T
he beach front of Nha Trang
has become the centre of
fierce debate. At present, the
area immediately next to the
beach plays host to just a few low-
rise buildings and plenty of community
space. Meanwhile, the far side of Tran
Phu and Pham Van Dong streets are
home to hundreds of businesses, in-
cluding restaurants, resorts, hotels and
serviced apartments which stand many
storeys high.
However, according to a new pro-
posal from the local authorities, this
is set to change as a slew of high-rise
buildings are to be built right next to
the sand. Such properties will dramati-
cally affect the sea view of those behind
them and transform the area into a busy
urban zone.
According to Nguyen Van Loc, for-
mer director of the Khanh Hoa Provin-
cial Construction Department, if this
plan is realised, no one will be able to
recognise Nha Trang and its beautiful
landscape will be lost. “It is unaccepta-
ble for this location to be changed like
this. Such high-rise properties should be
farther from the beach,” he said.
Bui Dung, chairman of the Khanh
Hoa Architect Association, said that the
proposed plan has been developed with
an eye on business alone with no regard
for public services.
“We have a very beautiful space and
if we implement this plan the natural
and green environment here would be
destroyed and replaced by concrete and
steel. I require local authorities to stop
all of the construction along the beach
before it is too late,” Dung said.
Nguyen Thiet Hung, former chair-
man of Khanh Hoa, said that if this plan
is realised, the whole beach will be the
reserve of the rich and lower-income
people will be locked out.
A major development in operation
is the E-land Four Seasons. The complex
consists of a green park, a restaurant, a
discotheque and a commercial centre.
“If we did not strictly require the
developer to limit the height of the
building, this project would have been
three storeys tall and blocked the view
timeout
22
Controversial plans to build high-end properties along the beach of Nha Trang
are raising fears that the city’s appeal is set to be seriously damaged. Words by
Quynh Chau
Brewing discontent
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