From a public house to a place to "queer the soul" of the community
Instead of leaving it abandoned or waiting for planning, some localities have proactively turned surplus headquarters into community space, practically serving people's lives.
In Dong Hoa commune (Dong Son district, Thanh Hoa), after merging from two old communes, the local government took advantage of the old headquarters as a place for the activities of the Veterans Association and the Association of the Elderly. Not only saving costs, this also contributes to maintaining a space for community-based activities - where the elderly have a place to practice and organize traditional festivals.
Also in Thanh Hoa, some communes in Thach Thanh and Trieu Son districts have taken advantage of the abandoned village cultural house after the merger to build a reading spot for children or a community learning center.
In Ninh Binh, the headquarters of the obstetric hospital - Ninh Binh province (former), after 5 years of abandonment, causing waste, now, the People's Committee of Ninh Binh province has decided to invest an additional VND 120 billion to renovate into Ninh Binh Traditional Medicine Hospital. Group B project size (classified according to the criteria specified in the Law on Public Investment in 2019) and belongs to the investment project of Group II with the design capacity of the Traditional Medicine Hospital of 200 beds. Completed time in 2026.
Similarly, after nearly 5 years of abandonment, the headquarters of the Hoa Lu District Tax Department has now been handed over to the People's Committee of Hoa Lu District (now Hoa Lu City) for management and use as a reception headquarters, both to promote the effectiveness of use and to avoid waste. For the headquarters of the Ninh Binh Provincial Medical Assessment Center, it has been renovated and handed over to the Ninh Binh Provincial Eye Hospital for management and use.
In Nghe An, the old headquarters of the provincial Department of Finance has now been transferred to two units under the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism for working, and is kept clean and spacious.
Mr. Nguyen Trung Long - Head of the Price and Property Management Department, Nghe An Department of Finance - said that for headquarters of state agencies subject to merger, reorganization or relocation to new locations, units will study and propose to continue using or assign to another unit for management, ensuring efficiency. For headquarters that are no longer in need of use, they will be handed over to the authorities to organize the auction.
"For the headquarters of the People's Committees at the district and commune levels, it is necessary to wait until the merger and the organization of the new administrative unit is completed to balance and arrange. In case of continued use, keep it, in case of converting the function to a school or cultural house or if there is no longer a need to use it, plan and put it up for auction. Therefore, after July 1, we will urge, inspect, and review to thoroughly handle it" - Mr. Long emphasized.
Previously, on April 2, 2025, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee requested relevant units to review all assets under their management, clarify the reasons for not putting them into use, not implementing the arrangement plan and proposing specific handling measures. The responsibility of relevant organizations and individuals will be considered if there is a loss or waste of assets.
On a larger scale, the People's Committee of Hue City has a policy of converting the old headquarters of a number of departments and branches (located along Le Loi Street) into cultural spaces, museums, or open libraries. The headquarters with ancient French architecture are preserved and redesigned into cultural tourism attractions - instead of being completely demolished. This is considered a step that both retains urban memories and increases its value and attracts tourists.
Attracting investment: The state needs to lead
Some localities have boldly put surplus public assets into land funds to call for investment, especially in central locations with high commercial value.
In Thanh Hoa City, a number of old offices after completing legal procedures and adjusting the planning were included in the auction list. According to the Department of Finance, in 2023, 5 facilities were successfully transferred, bringing in nearly 100 billion VND to the budget. Although there are still few compared to the total number of vacant headquarters, that is a positive signal.
Hue City is currently promoting a plan to re-evaluate assets on land for a series of projects along the Huong River - once headquarters of old departments - to include in the land fund to call for investors in the fields of hotels, trade and services.
Mr. Tran Huu Thuy Giang - Chief of Office of Hue City People's Committee - said that the city is ready to support businesses in completing procedures, removing barriers in planning, valuation and changing land use purposes.
However, the investment attraction process still faces many obstacles. One of the major problems is the high initial investment cost due to having to pay land rent once for a long period of time (usually 50 years), plus the cost of renovating or demolishing old works. Therefore, many businesses are still hesitant even though they are interested.
Some experts believe that there should be a mechanism to "share risks" with investors, such as re-evaluating remaining assets on land at more reasonable prices; allowing multiple payments of land rent; or prioritizing investors to use them for the right public purposes (education, healthcare, culture). In reality, handling surplus public assets is not only a technical problem but also an institutional issue and the initiative of the grassroots government.
Effectively reusing vacant headquarters helps save budget, reduce the burden on the apparatus and create space for cultural, educational, tourism and community development. To achieve that, a synchronous, open and drastic mechanism is needed from both the central and local governments.
