Disputed Chinatown development plan resubmitted to council
A controversial development in Chinatown that had divided the community will be put forward to the city of Vancouver once again in what’s believed to be the fifth attempt to get the project underway.
Beedie Living announced Friday it had made changes to its plans and had submitted an amended application for its Chinatown project at 105 Keefer St.
“This revised version responds to what we heard from city council and the public over more than four years of community consultation and most recently the public hearing at City Hall,” its statement read.
Some of the feedback received by the developer noted the proposed building was too tall and that the building wasn’t in line with the history and/or heritage of Chinatown.
Beedie’s statement explained the plans had been revised to lower the building’s height from 115 feet to 90 feet, while the section along Columbia Street would be lowered to 70 feet, to maintain views of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden.
The statement also addressed concerns about whether the building could maintain the culture of Chinatown; developers are now promising to “provide important subsidized cultural ground-floor space and increased pedestrianization of the Chinatown Memorial Plaza.”
“We see the Keefer project as an important addition to Chinatown,” Houtan Rafii, Beedie’s vice-president of residential development, said in a news release.
“We have been listening to the concerns people have expressed and sincerely appreciate every stakeholder who has collaborated with us toward the evolution of the proposal. We truly hope that this new proposal will reflect, as much as possible, the diverse perspectives we have heard.”
The site is currently home to a parking lot and former gas station.
Last month, following 26 hours of council debate and public hearings over the course of three weeks, Vancouver city council voted 8-3 to reject the project, noting the building ’s height, its lack of adequate social housing, and the outpouring of community opposition.
The head of #SaveChinatownYVR, a group of community members who have been active in the battle against 105 Keefer St., says Beedie failed to properly consult with the community before resubmitting its application.
“Beedie says they are trying to achieve the highest level of sensitivity for Chinatown at that site but it’s not about sensitivity — it’s about respect,” said Melody Ma.
“That they would go ahead with this reapplication without consulting with the community at large shows that they are not demonstrating respect. They have already broken trust with the community.”
Ma is also concerned that the project was resubmitted ahead of the city of Vancouver’s Chinatownwide zoning policy update, which is expected to be released in the fall.
Beedie had initially applied for rezoning to allow for a 12-storey mixed-use building on Keefer Street, with commercial spaces on the first floor, 25 units of social housing and 106 market condos. Beedie didn’t reveal how many units — either condos or social housing — were included in its revised application.
The developer also did not release any renderings of the redesigned building, but said it will feature a reimagined exterior design that reflects the context and rich heritage of the area.
City staff had initially recommended council approve the rezoning because it was in tune with the city’s Chinatown neighbourhood plan. Mayor Gregor Robertson voted against the proposal, saying: “It cuts far too deep a divide in the community to advance and see this built.”
“The message has been sent that you need to include the community before you even start to think about what you are going to build,” Ma said. “The community and the neighbourhood will have to live with whatever is built there for a very long time, so we need to have community input.”