Vancouver city councillor Kerry Jang says a downtown condo tower bearing Donald Trump's name in big brass letters would be a "beacon of racism."

Trump, a U.S. presidential candidate and billionaire developer with luxury real estate holdings around the world, has partnered with Vancouver's Holborn Holdings on the construction of the 63-storey Trump International Hotel and Tower on West Georgia Street.

In a campaign statement Monday, Trump called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States." His campaign manager Corey Lewandowski said Trump's proposed ban would apply to "everybody," including Muslims applying for immigration visas as well as tourists seeking to enter the country.

Trump doubled-down on his anti-Muslim rhetoric on Tuesday when he compared his proposed ban, favourably, to former President Franklin D. Roosevelt's decision to intern Japanese-Americans during the Second World War.

Jang says there is no place for Trump's xenophobia in Vancouver, and he wants the Trump name removed from the $360-million project.

"I have been fighting racism my entire life. As someone who is Chinese, growing up I faced all kinds of racism. . . . When I heard his comments last night, I just couldn't believe my ears," the Vision councillor said on Tuesday. "Vancouver has been built on a foundation of dealing with racism, dealing with these issues and getting along with one another. That's why people keep coming here, that's why our economy is so strong, because people feel safe. People are accepting here, and we have no tolerance for this type of stuff."

In an email to Holborn Holdings, the development company building the tower, Jang pleaded with CEO Joo Kim Tiah to end his association with Trump.

"I know Mr. Tiah, he is a thoughtful individual, and I am hopeful he will do something about it," said Jang.

"If it was me, I would try to get out of that deal and take the financial hit. As I see it, we should spare no expense when it comes to fighting racism in Canada. Quite frankly, it would make good business sense. He might want to do other buildings in Vancouver and people will be out protesting his company and that's not good either."

Holborn Holdings donated $75,000 to Vision Vancouver's campaign during the 2014 municipal election.

Jang was following the lead of former Vancouver city planner Brent Toderian, who was trending on Twitter on Monday, after tweeting: "As Trump calls to ban Muslims from entering the U.S., I seriously suggest Vancouverites call on @TrumpVancouver to remove his name."

Toderian, who started a private firm, Toderian UrbanWorks, after being dismissed by the city in 2012, says Trump's brand and beliefs are not a fit for Vancouver.

"The sheer horrific comments this week have probably just been the breaking point for some people. As I said to someone a few minutes ago who said 'Trump's comments have stopped being funny,' my response was they were never funny. They were always deeply concerning and they have got worse and worse," he said.

The twisting tower, designed by late Vancouver architect Arthur Erickson, was first proposed as a Ritz-Carlton tower in 2008, a year before Erickson's death, but was cancelled in 2009 because "worldwide economic turmoil" affected the sale of units in the project, a letter from Holborn's lawyers stated at the time.

The project was resuscitated in the spring of 2013 after Holborn partnered with The Trump Organization, who not only received naming rights to the building but also assumed control of the interior design and operations of the tower.

"I don't know the nature of (Holborn's) contract ... I don't know if they have a contract that says, 'If you deeply and profoundly embarrass us we can get out of the contract.' But whether they can or can't or will or won't, I think the conversation we are having is a valuable one," Toderian said.

"Whether the name can change or not, I think the citizens of the city should be speaking up and saying that brand, that mindset and message, is anathema to us."

The Vancouver Sun attempted to contact Tiah on Tuesday morning, but a Holborn spokesman said he was flying to Asia and unavailable for comment. On Wednesday Tiah said in a email that Holborn would not comment on the issue.

His statement said, "When Trump Vancouver opens in 2016, we will create as many as 300 jobs. Holborn, a company that has contributed immensely to the growth of Vancouver, is not in any way involved in U.S. politics. As such, we would not comment further on Mr. Trump's personal or political agenda, nor any political issues, local or foreign. Our efforts remain focused on the construction of what will soon be the finest luxury property in Vancouver and beyond."

sbrown@vancouversun.com

Twitter.com/Browniescott

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