A decision to allow taller buildings in Vancouver's Chinatown is the first step in gentrifying one of the city's most historic neighbourhoods, say groups who protested the proposal.

Vancouver city council passed a motion Tuesday night to ease height restrictions in all of Chinatown except Pender Street to nine storeys. Buildings of up to 15 storeys will be considered on the Main Street corridor by application.

Mayor Gregor Robertson told CTV News the controversial decision will give the neighbourhood, east of the low-income Downtown Eastside, "room to grow," and allow for more density and residential housing.

"This enables a little more height so there can see some new buildings built. I think we'll see a mix of affordable and market housing in those buildings," he said.

Robertson said the city would like to see more social housing in the area, citing it as a "big goal" for the current council. At this stage, there are no amendments requiring social or affordable housing in new Chinatown developments.

Robertson said protecting the heritage of Chinatown is a priority, as is ensuring the area doesn't become a homogenous wall of identical condo towers.

"[We want] to make sure we don't have a wall of higher buildings, that it's diverse and it integrates into the heritage neighbourhood smoothly," he said.

More than 160 people spoke during the five days and nights of public hearings on the proposal, the majority of whom were low-income residents and supporters of the low-income community.

DTES housing advocates say building in the struggling neighbouhood will push out low income residents, and equal nothing less than a "death knell" for the already struggling area.

Ivan Drury of the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Council said that the decision puts business interests first and excludes low-income Chinese seniors, who make up a large percentage of the neighbourhood.

Community associations, unions, faith groups and housing co-ops against the project believe new towers will increase taxes, effectively forcing out the existing small businesses.

"That will push up rents in the stores in Chinatown that's sort of in the low income community -- and it'll push up rents in the hotels and the low income apartment complexes," Drury said, adding that he didn't know of one resident who supported the project.

Wendy Pederson said several of the towers will replace the small Chinese grocery shops on Main and Keefer streets -- businesses that make up the core shopping district for low income people.

"Seniors come to this area with their bus passes to shop and those areas. It's the heart of the neighbourhood," she said.

The Vancouver Chinatown Business Improvement Association was in favour of the new development, but 26 local store owners signed a letter opposing the project.