New Vancouver condo tower knocking out beloved neighbourhood tree

A Vancouver residentis doing all she can to save an old maple tree that'sbeing uprootedto make room for Vancouver's thirdtallest residential building.

"I know this tree is slated to be destroyed and I feel sick to my stomach," saidKatherineLauriente.

Lauriente drives past the grand tree on the 1200 block of Hornby Street everyday on her way to work, and it holds a special place in her heart.

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"The tree has history and it's part of the neighbourhood," she said."Concrete walls and 55-storey buildings, there's no humanity in them."

The tree, along with two 100-year-old homes, isgoing to be demolished in the next few months when the Burrard Placetowerbegins construction.

Lauriente worries that too many trees in the city are being taken down for towers.

"Vancouver has become soulless. It's condo after condo and there areno neighbourhoods," she said.

"When neighbourhoods are long gone, when the neighbourhood isn't there anymore ... at least we have the tree."

Laurientehas evenstarted an online petitionto change the destiny of this old tree,butthe City of Vancouver has already given the green light to the developer.

Done deal

The tower'sdevelopersaid the trees need to be removed during the first phase of the redevelopment so construction can begin on the residential tower that will take up a full city block.

"Ultimately in the next phase, Tower C will go right where the tree is," said John Stovell, presidentof Reliance Properties.

Stovell said dozens of new trees will be planted in its place when the projectis completed in 2019.The eighth floor of the building is also slated to have plenty of green space.

But that isn't good enough for Lauriente.

"Rows of concretewithout trees or with little tiny trees, is not the same thing," she said.

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