Ho Chi Minh City can expect its first underground shopping mall by 2020.

According to local news sources, the city’s government has sought central government approval to build a four-level Saigon underground mall beneath a station in its first metro route, from Ben Thanh market to Suoi Tien theme park.

The underground complex will include a shopping mall, walking streets, a square, and other infrastructure.

The mall is said to cover 40 per cent of the 45,000sqm area, starting from/under Ben Thanh market, going along Le Loi St and ending at the city center’s iconic Opera House.

The US$303 million project will be constructed jointly by Toshin Development and other consortiums, including Nikken Sekkei Civil Engineering, Osaka Chikagai, and Join.