New Apartments in Central HCMC: District 1 and Binh Thanh (2026–2027)

If you’re hunting for brand-new central apartments, here’s the honest headline: there aren’t many. Unlike East HCMC’s busy pipeline, the central core — District 1 and the Binh Thanh riverfront — has only a handful of genuinely new projects, and they’re unusually premium. This report separates what’s operating and rentable today from construction-stage watchlists, corrects a couple of common geography mix-ups, and gives live asking-rent snapshots so you can compare new-build dreams against the established stock you can actually move into.

The short answer: central new supply is scarce, not a new-apartment wave

Three things to hold in mind:

• Rent-ready central new-ish stock is mostly Grand Marina’s operating towers (Lake and Sea) plus established District 1 buildings like Vinhomes Golden River and The Marq.
• One real future CBD project: One Central HCM (formerly Spirit of Saigon) — under construction, expected 2027. Not yet rentable.
• Binh Thanh is established inventory, not new supply. Vinhomes Central Park, Saigon Pearl, Opal Saigon Pearl and Sunwah Pearl give you deep rental choice today — but no comparable confirmed 2026–2027 new-delivery project surfaced in this research.

How to read this report

Each project carries a status: operating / rent-ready (handed over with live listings), existing rental stock (available now, but not a 2026–2027 delivery), under construction (works confirmed, not yet rentable), or NOT FOUND (no safe source for a handover date — we won’t guess). As with our East HCMC report, an expected handover is not a promise, and rent figures are VietnamRenty active asking examples (May–June 2026), not completed-lease averages, and exclude any charge a listing didn’t state.

The June 2026 Central HCMC project table

Two things this table deliberately excludes: The Opus One (it’s at Vinhomes Grand Park in Long Binh — East HCMC, not central; see our East HCMC report), and Grand Marina’s Marina Central Tower (it’s a commercial office/retail tower, not apartment rental stock).

Grand Marina, Saigon: what’s actually in the rental market

Grand Marina (Ton Duc Thang Street, Sai Gon Ward) is a multi-tower branded-residence development — so don’t treat the whole thing as one “new” project. The towers are at very different stages:

• Lake Tower — operating and moved-in (46 floors, 433 residences). Rentable now.
• Sea Tower — entered operation in February 2025 (47 stories). Rentable now; just confirm a listing is actually in Sea vs another tower.
• Cove & Lagoon — the clearest official progress note found was August 2024 (each past 95% exterior completion); a current opening/handover date is NOT FOUND. Don’t assume they’re rentable yet — verify a live listing and tower before relying on them.

A note on branding: these are Marriott / JW Marriott branded residences — Marriott licenses the brand; Masterise Homes and the project entities are the developer. Don’t assume every unit comes with the same hotel services, and these are long-term residences, not short-stay stock. Indicative asking bands (June 2026): roughly USD 1,800 for a 1BR up to ~USD 7,000 for a 3BR, with penthouses well above — check the exact tower, furnishing, service setup and which fees are included before comparing.

One Central HCM: the one real central watchlist

One Central HCM — the project formerly marketed as Spirit of Saigon (don’t treat those as two different developments) — is the clearest large future central apartment project. It sits on the four-frontage Ben Thanh site (1 Pham Ngu Lao, now Bến Thành Ward after the 2025 ward merger), with Saigon Glory as investor, Masterise Group developing and Newtecons as main contractor. Status: under construction, with the contractor’s project card showing an expected 2027 completion (indicative, subject to change).

Binh Thanh: established riverside stock, not a 2026–2027 boom

Binh Thanh’s riverfront is one of the most popular expat rental corridors — but its strength is choice you can rent today, not new construction. No major new-delivery project in the Vinhomes Central Park / Saigon Pearl corridor met this report’s source threshold as a confirmed 2026–2027 pipeline. The established options (with May 2026 asking examples):

These are existing buildings with real management and live inventory — exactly what suits a renter moving now. Just don’t read them as “new 2026 supply.”

Why central new supply is so thin and premium

It’s structural. Central land is scarce, so the few headline projects are complex, very high-end branded or mixed-use developments on rare CBD and riverfront sites (Grand Marina’s Marriott residences; One Central’s hotel/office/apartment mix). Savills Vietnam’s Q1 2026 briefing described citywide residential supply as constrained and noted that elevated central prices keep pushing some demand toward satellite areas. For renters, that means a small number of ultra-premium new options alongside a much larger pool of established rental stock — which is why “rent what you can inspect now” is usually the stronger play centrally. (These new branded projects are sold off-plan, so if you’re weighing buying one rather than renting, start with can foreigners buy property in Vietnam.)

Central HCMC vs East HCMC: which way to look

The two corridors now answer different questions:

If you’re tempted to wait for a future project, read our New Apartments in East HCMC report first — the eastern pipeline is where most genuinely new supply is, and it’s worth weighing against a central lease you can inspect today.

Where to rent now

The practical central options that are actually leasing:

• District 1 — including Grand Marina (operating towers), Vinhomes Golden River and The Marq.
• Binh Thanh — riverside established stock at Vinhomes Central Park, Saigon Pearl, Opal Saigon Pearl and Sunwah Pearl.

Whichever you choose, judge the exact building — not just “newness.” Our guides on quiet apartments, flood-safe apartments and air quality help you check road exposure, noise and building systems before signing.

Frequently asked questions

Is Grand Marina Saigon ready to rent?

Partly. The Lake and Sea towers are operating and have live rental listings; the Cove and Lagoon towers were still finishing with no verified opening date as of June 2026, so confirm a current listing and the exact tower before relying on them.

Which Grand Marina towers are operating?

Lake Tower (operating/moved-in) and Sea Tower (entered operation February 2025). Cove and Lagoon are not confirmed as operating in this report.

When will One Central HCM be completed?

The main contractor’s project card shows an expected 2027 completion — indicative and subject to change. It’s under construction and not yet rentable; there’s no published apartment unit count or leasing date.

Is Spirit of Saigon the same project as One Central HCM?

Yes. One Central HCM is the project formerly known as Spirit of Saigon (also seen as One Central Saigon) — one development, not several. It’s on the Ben Thanh site in Bến Thành Ward.

Is The Opus One in Central HCMC?

No. Despite some “connected to District 1” marketing, The Opus One is at Vinhomes Grand Park in Long Binh Ward — that’s East HCMC, covered in our East HCMC report, not this one.

Should I rent central now or wait for East HCMC supply?

If you need to move soon, central established stock (and Grand Marina’s operating towers) lets you inspect and lease today. If you can wait and want a brand-new building, the bigger pipeline is in East HCMC — but with handover-timing risk. Compare both before committing.

Key takeaways

Want help renting in Central HCMC?

We can tell you which central buildings are genuinely leasing now, arrange viewings, and steer you away from projects that aren’t ready — and as tenant-side agents we charge you no fee. Browse District 1 and Binh Thanh apartments, or tell us your budget and move date.

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Related guides:

• New Apartments in East HCMC
• Quiet Apartments in HCMC
• Flood-Safe Apartments in HCMC