Vancouver city council votes Tuesday on controversial Chinatown development

Vancouver city council is expected to vote Tuesday afternoon on the fate of a 12-storeytower that is proposed forthe heart of Chinatownandis also at the heart of an intense debate about the future of the area.

"We're opposed to it because there's over a hundred market condos that are going to gentrifythe neighbourhood even more," said Beverly Ho of the Chinatown Concern Group.

The development105 Keefer is a residential development first proposed by the Beedie Development Group in 2013.

Since then it has been the subject of many public hearings, protestsand redesigns.

In its latest incarnation the proposal includes 106 market-priced units and 25 "low-to-moderate income" seniors units, along with some communal spaces.

"It is an existing empty parking lot. We are not displacing businesses, homes, anything. It's just a derelict parking lot," said Beedie Development Group vice president Houtan Rafii on CBC Radio'sThe Early Edition this morning.

Make it all social housing

"They've proposed 25 seniors social housing units but that will barely make a dent with how many seniors actually need housing in the area," said Ho, also speaking on The Early Edition.

Members of the Chinatown Concern Group say the local, provincial and federal governments should all pitch in to buy the land and build social housing on the property.

"We just want 100 per cent social housing at the site because there just really isn't enough affordable housing here," said Ho.

The developer argues the proposal will give the area more non-market housing than has been built in Chinatown in recent years.

"In the past eight years, there's only been 22 units of non-market housing built in Chinatown," said Rafii.

"This proposal aloneproposes 25 more than the whole total of those units."

Additionally, says Rafii, all 25 of the units will be discounted as opposed to reports by opponents ofthe project that only eight suiteswillbe available at a cheaper rent.

Opponents of the project argue once the development moves into the empty lot it will raise rents in the surrounding area and will indirectly displace the community.

The Beedie Group maintains just as many people are for the project as there are people opposed.

City council is scheduled to begin its deliberations at 2 p.m. Tuesday.