Vancouver council mulls $2M support for Chinatown

Photo courtesy of IStock.

VANCOUVER - City councillors in Vancouver are set to consider a draft report aimed at reviving the historic Chinatown neighbourhood.

A staff report, to be presented at a council meeting Tuesday, calls for approval in principal of the draft Uplifting Chinatown Action Plan and recommends councillors add necessary funding to the draft 2023 budget to carry out the program's proposals.

The plan stems from a council resolution passed in November that would help clean up Chinatown's streets, alleys and sidewalks, remove litter and needles, halt any new graffiti, remove old tags and address vandalism and other problems.

Costs are pegged at just over $2.1 million this year.

If approved, the report recommends funds be added to the 2023 draft operating budget, either by reallocating money earmarked for other projects or by adding a further 0.2 per cent increase to a proposed five per cent property tax hike.

The report, which has the approval of City Manager Paul Mochrie, says staff will return to council at the end of the year with an update on the progress, outcomes and achievements of the pilot project and details about the next, longer term steps.