Da Lat to sell villas to fund administrative hub plan Tuoitrenews A villa where the Lam Dong's Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs is headquartered, is seen on Nguyen Viet Xuan, Da Lat June 19, 2013. Tuoi Tre The Central Highlands city of Da Lat will sell 16 and lease out 8 of its public villas to gain money for the plan to set up a new financial and administrative hub for the city, the municipal People’s Committee has announced. The villas in question are currently used as the headquarters of several agencies and departments. The villa sale and leasing are expected to bring in more than VND55 billion (US$21.88 million) for the city to fund its administrative center project, which is scheduled to be finished in Q1/2014. The $48.56 million center, spanning 56,000 square meters on a land plot on Tran Phu Street, will be home to all of the agencies and departments of the city. Different types Lam Dong currently has a total of 178 villas which are categorized into three groups, each with different requirements for the future buyers and lessees. The first group consists of five villas, which have both historical and cultural values, and are seen as representative of a unique architecture. The users of these villas are not allowed to reconstruct or alter any parts of its interior design and architectural structure. Seventy-seven villas, meanwhile, are listed under the second group. These villas also hold historical and cultural values, and can help users gain profit. Owners of these villas are banned from altering their outside designs, but can feel free to refurbish inside. The remaining 96 villas fall into the third category, as they either hold little historical and cultural value or have had their style altered. These villas can be demolished and replaced by new constructions. According to the villa management plan of Lam Dong Province, only villas in the third group will be put on sale, while those in the second group will be leased. The city will organize the first auction session to sell six villas by the end of this month. Should the auction be properly carried out, the new owners will receive the villas within the next 30 days. The buyers are allowed to demolish and rebuild the villas. Agencies and departments headquartered at these villas will temporarily work fromother offices for lease, pending the completion of the new administrative center. Nguyen Huu Tam, director of the province’s Department of Construction, said the villa selling and leasing plan has been approved by the Prime Minister. His deputy, Le Quang Trung, added that the villas to be sold are those that are deteriorated and are not an example of any specific architectural styles, so it is unnecessary to keep them. “Many local residents are concerned that the new owners will destroy the villas, but we have strict requirements on what the buyers can do with the houses,” he said. Dilemma Despite the strong determination of local government officials, there are still many concerns about the plan. Locals said two out of the 16 villas to be sold are still in good condition and have beautiful architecture. A new investor can take advantage of this plan to buy the villa, and will destroy it soon after that because what they actually need is the land plot, some residents said. Architect Ngo Thanh Hung, meanwhile, said the plan will create a dilemma. If they are to be sold under strict requirements over maintenance and refurbishment, few investors will be interested, he said. “On the other hand, if the requirements are loosened, we cannot be sure if the villas will be kept or replaced by modern structures, which is definitely not what Da Lat is renowned for,” he explained.