Vancouver’s development permit board has approved a controversial nine-storey residential tower in the heart of Chinatown, capping a years-long battle between the developer and the city.

Some local residents and activists opposed the plan for condos at 105 Keefer Street because of the lack of social housing, while business groups and other supporters say the mixed-use development proposed by Beedie Holdings Ltd. could revitalize the area.

The unanimous approval is subject to a series of recommendations by city staff, including adjustments to the building’s facade and improving the building’s relationship to nearby “culturally significant” features, such as the Chinatown Memorial Monument and the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.

More than 140 people, most of them opposed to the project, made presentations to the board in earlier meetings that went long into the night.

The permit board had repeatedly rejected the plan since 2017, citing neighbourhood opposition and a lack of compliance with its regulations.

However, a B.C. Supreme Court judge ordered the board to reconsider the project last year, saying it had provided inadequate justification for rejecting the building.

The project has been in the works since Beedie bought the land 10 years ago.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June. 26, 2023.

The Canadian Press