An idea to drop Donald Trump’s name from the Trump Tower being built in Vancouver is gaining traction online.
Former Vancouver city planner and current chief planner, Brent Toderian, took to Twitter Monday night following remarks from Trump calling for the U.S. to stop Muslims from entering the country.
Toderian said Vancouverites should ask the Holborn Group, the company behind the Trump Tower in Vancouver, to remove his name from the project. They are building the tower and have paid for the rights to use the Trump brand.
In a statement to the media on Wednesday, CEO of the Holborn Group, Joo Kim Tiah, said they are not in any way involved in U.S. politics and will not comment on political issues:
Holborn is a Vancouver-based private real estate development company that owns Trump Vancouver. When Trump Vancouver opens in 2016, we will create as many as 300 jobs. Holborn, a company that has contributed immensely to the growth of Vancouver, is not in any way involved in US politics. As such, we would not comment further on Mr Trump’s personal or political agenda, nor any political issues, local or foreign. Our efforts remain focused on the construction of what will soon be the finest luxury property in Vancouver and beyond.
WATCH: Calls begin to remove Trump name from new Vancouver high-rise
The tower on Georgia Street is still under construction and is supposed to stand around 188 meters, or 63 stories, tall when its construction is complete in 2016. About two-thirds of the building has been sold.
“I commented that, given the comments Mr. Trump had said just yesterday about Muslims, it just reinforced my sort of feeling that we should start a commentary, a discourse, about removing Trump’s name from the second-tallest building in Vancouver,” said Toderian.
“Even way back when his name was first attached to the building, I thought it was an odd pairing – his brand with our value system and city-making and inclusivity and such. I thought it was a weird pairing and I commented back then.”
Toderian said this idea to remove Trump’s name from the tower has really picked up steam in the last 12 hours.
“The Vancouver brand of real estate is an international brand, it’s a very valuable brand,” he added. “And we draw, for better or for worse, when we have conversations about affordability, we draw international attention to our real estate without the help of Mr. Trump. So it was always a conversation about ‘do you need Trump’s name to sell Vancouver real estate?'”
A Toronto city councillor also wants the downtown Trump Tower renamed because it’s named after the “fascist” Donald Trump.
Josh Matlow, councillor for Ward 22, announced Tuesday that he plans to petition the owners of the Trump Tower to ditch the controversial real estate mogul’s name.
Global News reporter Jill Bennett was at the announcement in 2013 that a Trump Tower was going to be built in Vancouver.
-With files from Steve Morales
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