A unique cluster of buildings in the and blocks of Alexander Street, where the Red Light District once thrived, are threatened by potential development pressure. Of the buildings that remain, and are known to have been brothels, only Alexander Street is protected, but , , and Alexander Street are not even listed on Heritage Register and could easily disappear. A number of other early brothels in the area β including those run by Maria Gomez and Fay Packer β have been demolished for social housing projects.
This East End neighbourhood has suffered from the absence of co-ordination in community planning. While Strathcona south of Hastings Street has undergone carefully-managed change, north of Hastings Street is prey to redevelopment. Heritage Vancouver supports the recognition of the Red Light District through additions of these sites to the Heritage Register, and zoning and planning improvements for Strathcona including the creation of a Japantown Heritage Conservation Area.
Of the buildings that remain and are known to have been brothels only Alexander Street is protected, but , , and Alexander Street are not even listed on Heritage Register and could easily disappear. One of the most significant resources in the block, the Henderson House at Alexander Street, was recently demolished as part of a social housing development.
One issue for the future of the Red Light District is the heritage-friendly zoning in Strathcona south of Hastings Street that is not available north of Hastings Street. No protective zoning was given for houses or smaller buildings to the north or along Hastings Street. Brothels were found in apartments and houses located at , , and Alexander Street and Alexander Street. Remarkable for the era, the owners of three, perhaps four, of the buildings and businesses were women.
The and blocks of Alexander Street also continue to be important for their location on the edges of historic Japantown, in Strathcona. Many hotels, churches, houses, tenements and apartment buildings that remain in the area were built for, or by, Japanese-Canadians or have significant Nikkei history. McCarter, designed by architect W. Building permit no. DL ; Block 42; Lot 1.
