Abandoned quarries may become $363-mln urban, tourism site

Construction details, such as whether the quarries will be levelled, are not available yet.

In a proposal to the province people's committee, the Amaccao Group said the work would take eight years.

Of the 285 ha of quarries in Tan Hanh, Hoa An, Buu Hoa, and Tan Van wards in Dong Nai's capital town Bien Hoa, 145 ha would be used to build an amusement park, 54 ha would become lake resorts, 46 ha would have facilities for healthcare and therapy, and 39 ha would be earmarked for conference rooms and malls, it said.

It would also provide housing for around 12,000 people, it added. Vo Van Phi, deputy chairman of the provincial people’s committee, said the province have green-lighted the proposal and have called on Bien Hoa authorities and other relevant units to complete documents to launch the project.

There are over 10 abandoned quarries in Dong Nai that borders HCMC. Those in Bien Hoa are used to dispose of trash and are not guarded properly resulting in some deadly accidents.

Several businesses have surveyed the quarries for years to build tourism sites there, but without success since the complex terrain makes construction difficult and tourism projects may not be feasible.