Vancouver East MP Jenny Kwan said she’s been speaking with federal NDP leadership hopeful Jagmeet Singh, who she’s endorsed, about how Chinatown can keep its sense of community without losing land to condo towers.
Kwan said there’s been much discussion around the 105 Keefer Street project, and hopes future developments work with the community’s plan for the area.
Coverage of Vancouver’s Chinatown on Globalnews.ca:
“Maybe there’s a way to engage in a discussion with a developer,” she said.
“Maybe to do a land swap, maybe to make a purchase. We could do a lot with historic Chinatown to preserve our history, but also to revitalize our community as well.”
Singh is a member of Ontario’s provincial parliament, and he said any vibrant community needs public spaces as well as places to live.
“I think that’s what makes a community truly livable,” he said.
“And so when we think about building housing, we also need to make sure that we have livable cities that are supported by these housing initiatives and we can do that. We just need to make sure our planning reflects that initiative.”
The NDP will vote in a new leader this fall.