Not good enough: Chinatown coalition opposed to new development proposal

The Chinatown Action Group says a scaled-back proposal for adevelopment application at 105 Keefer Street still isn't good enough.

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The Beedie Group's most recentsubmission is a 13-storey building with 119units down from 134 when it was initially submitted plus 25 units dedicated to social housing for seniors. This is the third application for the development.

But thecoalition of neighbourhood activists says there aren't enough social housing units on the table.

"We're asking for100 per cent social housing. That'swhat meets the needs of the community," saidSophieFung,spokesperson for theChinatown Action Group.

Fung said the Chinese elderly population will require 3,000 units of housing somewhere in the city and Chinatown is the best place to put that.

"Alot of theseniorscanonly speak a little bit ofEnglishor aremonolingualChinese,so to access culturally appropriatefood in alanguagethat makes sense to them isreallyimportant," she said.

'One Chinatown'

A public open house will be held tonight at the Chinese Cultural Centre starting at 5:00 p.m. PT.

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The group is also asking for a cultural space for seniors so they can participate in dancing and singing.

"What they've put in is for it [the cultural space] to be available for 10 years," she said. "We see that as something that should be in the community forever."

Fung said the area is of great cultural importance to Chinese Canadians and to Vancouverites in general and that's why she and others are calling for a neighbourhood-wide halt to all new developments.

"If wedon'tthink about how these changes impact the neighbourhood we might lose it forever and we only have one Chinatown," she said.

With files from the CBC's The Early Edition and Matt Meuse.

To hear the full story listen to the audio labelled:The Chinatown Action Group is still opposed to development at 105 Keefer St.