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DPB Hearing Reconvenes @ City Hall — Nov 17 Over 100 speakers forced the Oct 20 session to adjourn—let’s finish what we started.
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570 Columbia = 105 Keefer Act Now

570 Columbia is still 105 Keefer —
and we still don’t want it

You can change the name, but you can’t change our history.

On Oct 20, more than 100 neighbours packed City Hall and testified so powerfully that the Development Permit Board had to adjourn. The hearing continues on Mon, Nov 17. Bring your voice!

Submit an official comment → See Nov 17 details →

For over a decade, 105 Keefer has been at the center of the fight for Chinatown’s future. On Oct 20, we showed that power again when elders, youth, and allies spoke nonstop for hours. Developer Beedie Living still wants luxury condos here, but our message hasn’t changed: we need affordable homes for people, not investments for profit.

This isn’t just about one building. It’s about a thriving Chinatown and DTES where low-income seniors can age in place and where unhoused residents, workers, and youth can find homes. Turning out comments, testimony, and bodies at City Hall keeps that future alive.

Want to take action? Head down to the Act Now section.

Next up

DPB Hearing Continues Nov 17

We packed the first session with 100+ speakers and forced an adjournment. The continuation happens on Monday, Nov 17. If you already registered, plan to return. If you’re supporting, fill the gallery, hold space for elders, and bring friends.

  • 📍 City Hall (453 W 12th Ave)
  • 🕘 Hearing continues at 3PM
  • 📝 Comments stay open on the City’s official portal until the DPB votes.
Submit an official comment → See more ways to act →
Nov 17 flyer outlining the DPB continuation details and next steps
Nov 17 flyer outlining the DPB continuation details and next steps.

What’s Happening Now

Beedie rebranded 105 Keefer as 570 Columbia to erase a decade of resistance. Same project—new label—and bolder asks:

  • No social housing despite higher density
  • Setback and height limits ignored
  • Overshadows and encroaches on Memorial Square
  • “Community space” hidden in a back alley—small and inaccessible

Our History of Resistance

  1. 2017

    Fuelled by greed, Beedie applied for rezoning to increase the size of their condo development–we fought against their applications every time. After four failed rezoning attempts, Beedie tried to bypass the City Council by going straight to the Development Permit Board (DPB). They stripped out social housing entirely. Over 200 people spoke against the project. For the first time in decades, the DPB said “no”. This was a historic win for Chinatown and for the housing justice movement as a whole in Vancouver.

  2. 2017–2022

    Beedie spent millions of dollars going through the legal process to overturn the decision. Their money took them all the way to the BC Supreme Court, who ordered the DPB to rehear the case.

  3. 2023

    The project came back. Over 500 seniors, tenants, and residents from Chinatown and the DTES filled a community town hall and voted “no” to condos and unanimously “yes” to 100% social housing. For a month, people rallied outside City Hall. Despite hearing numerous speeches in opposition, the DPB granted Beedie a permit “with conditions.” However, the fight reinvigorated residents and organizers to build a more sustained movement.

  4. 2025

    The developer returned with drawings that stretch the 2017 approval. On Oct 20, more than 100 people spoke out against missed deadlines and a taller, bulkier tower that would loom over Chinatown Memorial Square; so many that the DPB adjourned before finishing the list.

    The hearing resumes on Nov 17 while comments remain open through the City’s official portal. Neighbours relaunched the 105 Keefer campaign—reviving meetings with community members, translating materials for elders, and documenting every bylaw breach. The community is pressing for the permit to be refused so the site can deliver truly affordable housing for Chinatown and the DTES.

DPB Hearing Update & Toolkit (Nov 17)

Thank you to everyone who showed up on Oct 20. Over 100 people spoke so powerfully that the DPB adjourned before the list was finished. We head back on Nov 17 to keep the pressure on.

No new speakers are being added, but if you already registered you still hold your spot. Everyone else can pack the chambers, help elders navigate City Hall, translate, and keep submitting written comments through the official portal.

The DPB still makes decisions by checking plans against bylaws and past approvals, so keep your remarks short, factual, and clearly linked to the rules highlighted below. That makes it easier for the Board to act on what you share.

Why your story still matters

Even in a technical hearing, grounding the bylaws in lived experience makes the facts stick. Explain how luxury condos push out neighbours, how gentrification harms seniors, and why this site must deliver real social housing. Pair the technical issues of the application with your own experience—your knowledge of the community is evidence too.

Legal & Technical Grounds for Refusal

Ground your remarks in these facts so the Board understands why the permit must be refused.

Prior-to conditions not met

Beedie had to clear every prior-to condition by Jan 15, 2024. They missed it, so the prior permit should be considered expired.

New application required

The 2025 submission is not the 2017 project. Floor space is up 7.8%, homes climb 20%, and height jumps 15 ft. That scale of change triggers a fresh application under the 2023 HA-1A zoning.

Height violations

The tower reaches 104 ft—that’s 6'11" above the HA-1A maximum of 29.6 m. The Board must enforce the absolute height limit in the district schedule.

Massive visual impact

An oversized glass dome and atrium pierce the height envelope and dominate Chinatown Memorial Square, a culturally significant gathering place.

Community space misrepresented

The so-called community space is buried in a service alley with no meaningful public access, turning a promised benefit into a token gesture.

Loading issues

Four of six retail units lack internal loading. Trucks would spill into Memorial Square, disrupting daily cultural and community use.

How to Get Ready for the DPB Hearing

Follow these steps so your remarks land and you feel confident.

Step 1 · If you’re already a speaker

  • Your registration carries over—arrive early, check in with clerks, and be ready when the list resumes.
  • Bring printed notes with drawing/page numbers so you can reference them quickly, even if your slot is mid-session.
  • If you miss your name, wait nearby; staff will circle back once the initial list ends.

Step 2 · Submit an official comment

  • Use the Shape Your City portal to log a written submission asking the DPB to refuse the permit.
  • Cite concrete violations (B.1.1 deadlines, B.1.2, height overages, Memorial Square impacts) and how they affect you or your neighbours.
  • Share the link widely—comments remain open until the Board issues its decision.

Step 3 · Support on Nov 17

  • Pack the chambers, hold seats for elders, and help with translation or note-taking.
  • Stay for the full session so the Board sees sustained resistance.
  • Bring signage, snacks, and water; follow marshals’ directions to keep folks safe.
Submit an official comment → See Nov 17 plan →

Double-check the official DPB page for any last-minute changes before the hearing.

Myths vs. Truths

Quick facts you can share with neighbors, media, or anyone curious about 105 Keefer / 570 Columbia.

Myth

“Condos will revitalize Chinatown.”

Truth Condos raise rents and property taxes, pushing out the very people who keep Chinatown vibrant. Real revitalization = affordable homes and services that serve the community.

Myth

“Any new housing is good.”

Truth If homes aren’t affordable, they deepen the crisis. Luxury condos often sit empty as investments. We need community-serving, affordable housing—homes for people, not profit.

Myth

“Chinatown has no ‘residential base.’”

Truth That erases thousands of low-income seniors, workers, families, and neighbors who already live here and rely on Chinatown every day.

Act Now

We stopped Beedie in 2017. We stood together again in 2023. In 2025, the fight continues—next up is the Nov 17 DPB continuation.

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Nov 17 hearing details →