Six blocks of shophouses in Son Tra District have been abandoned for years. The project, approved by the authorities in September 2017, was developed by Da Nang Marina Company Ltd.
It spans an area of 49,000 square meters divided into 208 lots. Its design includes shophouses, villas, apartments, and hotels.
So far 111 shophouses have been built, but few households live there.
Nguyen Duc Lap, director of the Real Estate Research and Training Institute, said that the shophouses were abandoned due to the recent slowdown in the real estate market.
Many owners have tried to lease the units but could not find tenants, he added.
The empty structure invites criminals to seek refuge, said Cao Dinh Hai, chairman of Hien Dong Ward.
Some use the houses to store their stolen assets, while others use drugs there, he added.
“The police have recorded at least six cases of illegal acts there.”
The handle was stolen from this glass door and replaced with a metal bar. In some other structures glass has been shattered.
Trash has accumulated inside and outside the houses. Authorities have been paying for cleanup in the area.
Of the 13 villas, only one is occupied by a family. The rest are filled with grass. For-sale signs are up, but they have generated little interest.
Local authorities have asked the developer to complete the project, but its representatives have refused to meet with officials many times.
Other projects in the districts of Lien Chieu, Hai Chau and Cam Le have also turned into ghost towns.
At a project on Minh Mang Road, two blocks of shophouses were recently built but only five are occupied. Grass grows freely in the area.
Some people use the deserted sidewalks as parking spaces.
Lap said the empty houses will only be filled once the Da Nang property market recovers.
Abandoned shophouses in Da Nang City are taken advantage by criminals. Video by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong
