Press Release: Union and Community Delegation Delivers 2,000 Signatures Opposing Holborn Luxury Development  

Vancouver, BC —  A delegation of union members and community allies delivered a stack of petitions to development giant Holborn Group this afternoon, sending a clear message that the project does not reflect the needs of Vancouver residents facing an affordability crisis.

More than 2,000 residents have signed the petition, opposed to the “supertall” tower project which could be quickly rushed through Council this July before the municipal election. The petition raises concern about the potential fast-tracking of this project, and notes Holborn’s history of displacing low-income residents at Little Mountain and neglect of Dunsmuir House, a former SRO.

A project of this magnitude should receive meaningful public scrutiny and debate; any Council vote on this project should take place after the election this fall.

“Too many workers and young people are struggling to pay rent and stay in the city,” said Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40.  “Residents want a different vision for Vancouver. Holborn Group and City Hall need to listen and put residents’ needs first before moving forward on a project that will be unaffordable for most of us.”

Holburn seeks to rezone several development sites in downtown Vancouver to build a luxury megaproject at 501-595 W Georgia, 619 Richards, and 500 Dunsmuir, with 1,288 condo units, 920 hotel rooms, 273 rental units, and a vow to build social housing at another site. The project could displace over a dozen independent businesses, some of whom are long-term tenants.

The online version of the petition can be found here.

CONTACT: Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785