Vancouver City Council has decided to push forward with a Main Street Filipino Cultural Centre and Hotel project.

Following an hour-long debate on Wednesday, council members approved the motion, which was introduced by Mayor Ken Sim and Coun. Lenny Zhou.

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Plans for the facility at Main Street and 4th Avenue have been underway for years, but council referred the decision to take the next step in development last month after members of the public raised concerns.

Real estate development firm PortLiving owns and is currently facing foreclosure proceedings involving the proposed properties for the centre.

PortLiving CEO Tobi Reyes acknowledged his past “trials and tribulations” at a November council meeting.

“We’ve repaid more than $400 million worth of indebtedness in the last few years, and we have also taken care of all the property tax issues on the site and are now speaking in earnest with our construction lenders to make sure this promise becomes a reality,” Reyes said.

In the past, he said his company was in the process of settling the foreclosure.

Some community groups, such as Filipino BC, the Filipino Seniors Club of BC, and Mabuhay House Society, have expressed concerns about the property.

The motion Wednesday directs city staff to “prioritize the review” of the proposed centre and hotel at two sites: 1940 Main Street and 143rd East 3rd Avenue. 

Several amendments were struck down by council before reaching the verdict, including suggestions to guarantee funding for the Filipino Cultural Centre using hotel proceeds. 

The cost is expected to be between $200 million and $450 million, as per the developer. 

The Filipino Legacy Society, the group looking to run the Cultural Centre within the hotel, plans to connect with three levels of government to help get it built.

The push for a cultural centre has been gaining momentum since the Lapu-Lapu Day vehicle-ramming attack that killed 11 people and injured dozens more at a Filipino street festival in April.

—With files from Theresa Barrera, OMNI News.