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Controversial Vancouver Chinatown condo development approved by development board (www.theglobeandmail.com)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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The project was previously rejected by the city in 2017 amid community concern about the tall building’s architectural disconnect with historic Chinatown and the lack of social housing, which has continued to motivate opposition. Proponents, on the other hand, believe the project will economically revitalize the area.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Came here to see why it was rejected before

community concern about the tall building’s architectural disconnect with historic Chinatown

Oh, so NIMBYs aren't just rich bitches. Gotcha.

Hey look. There's more people all the time. Housing will need to get more dense or we'll have to start eating our friends. YOU'RE GONNA GET TALL BUILDINGS.

the lack of social housing, which

... we get with tall buildings.

the only mistake here is that the ground floor doesn't blend perfectly to a cultural-appropriation level of blending, which seems to be the minimum acceptable level AND also probably offensive. And that they could've put another 40 storeys on top.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I don't understand this obsession with 'architectural disconnect' argument, who cares if it doesn't look the same as the surrounding buildings. It's just another tool for NIMBY's to use to shut down progress, personally I love it the mix and match of buildings architecture, it makes traveling through cities visually interesting! I don't want this strange suburban hell where all buildings are copy-pasted all over the place, let your areas have some variety

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

do liminal spaces bother you?

[–] Lauchs 1 points 1 year ago

I was in Brampton Ontario for a wedding this summer and it looked like each neighbourhood had been spat out of the same Soviet housing complex machine.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

On one hand, Chinatown does have a certain aesthetic.

On the other hand, that aesthetic exists because it was needed to keep Chinese communities alive. It's no longer needed today.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Vancouver Chinatown is the second (or third) oldest Chinatown in North America after San Francisco (and maybe Victoria). Beside of the Chinese community living there since generations, it is a popular tourist attraction and a unique neighbourhood its own character that you can't find in Richmond (or anywhere else in VGA) in this form.

IMO, it would be a shame to stamp out this uniqueness and replace it with the same style of glass and steel towers with the same style and look that you can find anywhere else. There are ways to build up and provide more living space, while retaining the character at street level if must be.

[–] Nogami 0 points 1 year ago

The entire area needs to be cleaned up. My bet is that when the area is old and decrepit the property taxes are low and that’s just what land owners there want.

Once new construction starts going in, property values and taxes will start going sky high and everyone sitting on their nest egg old lots down there will start having to pay through the nose to keep them.

Wait until the rest of the city is all developed and property prices are as sky high as possible then sell sell sell.

I’d be ok with blocking new construction there as a heritage area as long as the existing buildings are all marked as heritage sites which can never be demolished for new construction, only renovated internally without changing or adding any exterior size or features.

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