Vietnam’s Khang Thong Group is set to start construction of its US$600 million Happyland Theme Park in southern Vietnam in February 2011 as America’s Hill International became the project manager mid-December, a company source said.
The source told this to the Saigon Times Daily on Thursday on condition of anonymity.
Hill International, a Marlton-based project management firm, announced Dec. 27 that it has signed a 40-month contract with Khang Thong to provide project management services from the group’s Phu An Investment Construction and Infrastructure Development JSC.
The contract has an estimated value to Hill of approximately US$16.9 million, the US firm added.
Meanwhile, Khang Thong said the group signed also on Dec. 16 a memorandum of understanding with Steelman Partners LLP for the American architectural firm to design a five-star 1,000-room hotel in the property project, called Happyland Vietnam.
The Nevada-based corporation is the main designer with Happyland Vietnam, which would require around US$2 billion, including $600 million going to the theme park similar to Disneyland and Universal Studio. It is projected to open in Long An Province in 2014.
The park is planned to be Southeast Asia's greatest tourist attraction, serving the recreational and entertainment needs of both domestic residents and foreign tourists.
The theme park will be developed on a prime riverside location along the Vam Co Dong River in Thanh Duc Commune, Ben Luc District, less than one hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City. It is 16 miles (less than 26 km) on the new freeway from the city.
Happyland Vietnam will have a land area of around 340 hectares for phase one and around 350 hectares for phase two. It will include a commercial section providing some 160,000 square meters of space, a section for residential development with villas and shop houses, Vietnam cultural complex, and museum, among other facilities.
Khang Thong expects that Happyland could receive around 14 million visitors a year and generate jobs for about 10,000 people in the province.
