A 117-hectare golf complex is being built on the site of a Hanoi, Tuoi Tre reported Thursday.

 

The project covers 75 hectares of land within the Gia Lam Airport in the Long Bien District, some eight kilometers from the capital.

It was funded by the Long Bien Investment Joint-stock company.

 

The firm also invested in the recently-approved urban area covering 157 hectares of the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. The southern project will also include a 111-hectare golf course.

 

Tuoi Tre quoted Long Bien Company as saying that the project in Hanoi was already approved by the Prime Minister.

 

Under a detailed zoning plan that it has recently submitted to related agencies, the complex, which includes hotels, villas and apartment buildings, will be funded with a total of US$200 million and is scheduled to be completed by 2015.

 

The Ministry of National Defense, which manages the airport site, said that work proposed by the investor complies with existing safety regulations.  

 

Le Van Cuong, chairman of Phuc Dong Ward’s People’s Committee in Long Bien District, told the newspaper that while the detailed plan is still awaiting approval, work has started on building the golf course.

 

According to Cuong, 26 hectares of the 40 hectares that fall outside the airport are mainly rice fields that yield two crops a year.

 

An official from Gia Thuy Ward, which encompasses a part of the project site said that 5.7 hectares of the project’s agricultural land will be revoked as well.

 

Under a decision issued by the Prime Minister in 2009, rice fields, protected forest areas, and those already zoned for industrial and urban areas are prohibited from use in the construction of golf courses.