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The proposal was outlined on Feb. 2, when the Thanh Hoa Province People’s Committee assigned relevant agencies to review procedures for reclaiming and handing over the site to the provincial Land Fund Development Center for management and redevelopment.

Provincial leaders have asked the center to study options for making effective use of the property, including attracting investors to convert it into a semi-residential senior care facility, a model proposed by the Department of Construction and Ham Rong Ward authorities. A final plan must be submitted to the provincial government by March 15.

According to Pham Duc Toan, chairman of the Ham Rong Ward People’s Committee, local authorities had previously sought opinions from departments and agencies on alternative uses for the conference center, but no unit expressed interest in taking it over.

Given the lack of demand, the ward proposed transferring the complex to the Land Fund Development Center and calling for investment to turn it into a senior day-care center operating under a “loneliness prevention” model.

Under the proposal, the facility would run daily shuttle services, picking up elderly residents in the morning and taking them home in the afternoon. During the day, seniors would be able to socialize, exercise, take part in cultural and recreational activities, and join learning and exchange programs designed to support both physical and mental health.

Local officials said the site is well suited for elder care, citing its large green space, quiet and secluded setting, and distance from crowded residential areas. The day-care model is expected to ease pressure on families while still ensuring access to medical monitoring, proper nutrition and community engagement, services that remain limited in Thanh Hoa.

The Ham Rong Conference Center is built on more than 35,650 sq.m of land and includes seven buildings with 48 rooms. It was completed in late 2014 and consists of a central conference hall, reception and information areas, eco-lodging buildings, and supporting infrastructure. After multiple revisions, total investment exceeded VND160 billion, funded mainly by loans from the Asian Development Bank, with about 10% coming from the central government budget.

The complex was originally intended to host major cultural events as part of a comprehensive development program for the former Thanh Hoa City, but no large-scale events were ever held there. In 2015, city authorities temporarily used the facility as offices after the old city headquarters was demolished.

In 2019, when the city’s Party Committee and People’s Committee moved to a new headquarters, the center fell into disuse. It was briefly used as a centralized quarantine facility during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 before being abandoned again.

Years of inactivity have left the buildings visibly deteriorated, with peeling paint, damaged flooring, broken glass and aging electrical systems.

The project is currently under inspection by provincial authorities as part of a broader review of public works showing signs of waste or inefficient use of state assets. No official conclusion has yet been released.