Controversial Chinatown development under scrutiny

A controversial proposal for Chinatown’s 105 Keefer will go before the city’s development permit board Monday.

Merrick Architecture, on behalf of Beedie Living, will appear before Vancouver city staff to seek approval for its development application. The latest version of its proposal includes a nine-storey, mixed-use building encompassing 111 residential units, retail shops at ground level, a seniors’ cultural space and three levels of underground parking.

A summary of the application posted to the city’s website does not include any mention of social housing. Previous iterations of the project had suggested 25 units of social housing and 106 market condos would be included.

It is believed to be the sixth attempt at getting the project underway.

Monday’s application hearing, which begins at 3 p.m. in the townhall meeting room at Vancouver City Hall, is open to the public. There will be opportunities to address the permit board upon request. The period for written comments to be received formally ended Sept. 15, though comments will continue to be considered up until the date of the decision.

The latest person to chime in on the project is Vancouver East MP Jenny Kwan.

Kwan’s letter, which was addressed to Vancouver’s development permit board and director of planning and shared publicly Sunday, urged city officials to reject the latest proposal in favour of more social housing.

“To truly honour the history of Chinatown, many of my constituents want to see our community build on our capacity to learn from and care for its elders, and they want to see a community that can support young families,” Kwan’s letter reads. “Many of the current residents of Chinatown are seniors now, and are living in substandard housing. Those seniors, and the businesses that serve them are in perpetual danger of being displaced by the ongoing developments.

“I therefore feel very strongly that every development in Chinatown matters, and should prioritize affordable housing and services for seniors and families.”

Over the summer, a statement by Beedie Living said its revised applications drew from the what it heard from the community and city following “four years of community consultation.” The developer had shortened the height of its building and promised increased pedestrian areas in response to feedback.