Block party organizers warn Chinatown is under threat from developers
Posted May 15, 2016 12:28 pm.
Last Updated May 15, 2016 12:32 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – An open house is being held tomorrow for a controversial development proposed for one of Vancouver most iconic neighbourhoods, while those opposed will be holding a block party just steps away.
At issue is the Beedie Group’s 13 storey mixed-used building proposed for 105 Keefer and 544 Columbia in Chinatown.
“It’s not what the cornices and the colours of this buildings and the setbacks can do, it’s really about the larger context,” says Doris Chow, one of the organizers of the Save Chinatown Block Party and co-founder of the Youth Collaborative for Chinatown.
“It’s not necessarily about this development… it’s the accumulation of the impact of development before it and the rapid pace of how things have been going in the neighbourhood,” she adds.
In fact, Heritage Vancouver recently placed Chinatown third on its list of ten most endangered sites in the city.
Chow’s group wants all developments in the area put on hold until a social impact study can be conducted.
“We’re hearing from a lot of community members that there are less and less places for them to shop at, there’s more and more expensive buildings going up, and their quality of life is eroding because of that,” she explains.
The open house happens from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Chinese Cultural Centre, while the block party happens in a nearby courtyard from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
