On June 9th 2023, The Daily Hive published an opinion piece by Mike Tan, volunteer director of the Chau Luen Society, co-chair of the Chinatown Seniors Affordable Housing Group, and former LSG co-chair, titled “I’m pro-development in Vancouver Chinatown, but opposed to the 105 Keefer Street proposal”. Original article linked here.
Tan writes,
I strongly believe that the development of new housing in Chinatown is critical to revitalizing the neighbourhood, but I am standing against this proposal as it will not bring about the revitalization we hope for to the legacy, cultural, and family-owned businesses in the neighbourhood and instead will diminish the Chinese-Canadian Memorial and the memory of the ancestors it commemorates.
Most people wonder, “Why are we fighting over an empty lot?” and are quick to say that “they should develop it so we can add new residents to Chinatown and help revitalize its businesses!”
What many overlook is just how close the 105 Keefer Street development is to the Chinese Canadian Memorial, which has a sculpture commemorating a railway worker, and a separate sculpture honouring a veteran.
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If this application was next to Victory Square, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
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In the past 10 years, 524 new condominiums were been built in the Chinatown area. The hope from many in the community was that these new residents would patronize the heritage, cultural, and family-owned businesses. Instead, what we have discovered is that this is categorically a pipe dream.
We have seen the commercial vacancy rate in Chinatown hit 23%, meaning almost one out of four commercial spaces sit empty. Instead of revitalization, these luxury condominiums increased development pressure on the surrounding neighbourhood and we watched as our beloved neighbours, businesses that catered to low and middle-income clientele like Goldstone, Mitzies, Tinland, and Kent’s Kitchen closed up shop for good. It is telling that many of the few remaining legacy businesses like New Town Bakery and Kam Wai Dim Sum have stood in opposition to the project.
But isn’t it just an empty lot? It currently is, but if it is allowed to be developed as luxury condominiums, that’s all it ever will be. [emphasis added]
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