[URBAN NOTE] "Chinatown development has locals worried about neighbourhood’s future"

[rfmcdonald]

The Globe and Mail's Kerry Gold notes the concern of many Vancouverites that condo development in that city's Chinatown could undermine that neighbourhood's existence. This sounds familiar, honestly.

King-mong Chan, who was born in Hong Kong and came to Canada at the age of 1, says he has been discovering his roots through Vancouver’s historic Chinatown. But as encroaching new midrise condo developments threaten the culture and charm of the tiny neighbourhood – with a history that goes back to the 1880s – he’s wondering if there will be anything left of Chinese tradition once the condo developers are finished with it.

“There shouldn’t be any more condos,” says Mr. King-mong. “We’ve seen enough development. It’s like a train unleashed.”

Mr. Chan is part of a coalition of young Chinese-Canadians that has formed in the last couple of years in reaction to the sweeping changes in Chinatown. Many see them as the voice of a movement to save Chinatown before it’s too late.

For some, Chinatown’s sudden infusion of condos is a case of, “Be careful what you wish for.” For others, it’s exactly what they feared would happen after new zoning allowed for taller buildings.

For more than a decade, Chinatown and the area around it had been suffering from a lack of vitality. The demographic had aged, businesses were hurting and, at night, the sidewalks were dead. Members of Chinatown’s business community wanted a solution, so the city held a series of public consultations and eventually rezoned the area to make way for buildings as high as 17 storeys along Main Street. The idea was that density, by way of condos, would revitalize the area and get shoppers into stores.