A 6-storey residential building proposed at the southern tip of City Centre near Surrey Memorial Hospital went to Council Monday night for 1st & 2nd readings. Located directly across from Queen Elizabeth Secondary School at 135 St & 94A Ave, the building will replace 3 existing single family homes built in the 1950’s. The area is envisioned to transform into a dense medical, health, and technology district surrounding Surrey Memorial Hospital, with similar 4-6 storey housing to eventually replace the remaining single family pocket west of King George Blvd and south of 96th Ave.
The building itself features a two-storey townhouse base with 4 floors of condos above for a total of 50 apartment units and 10 townhouse units. A reduced setback along both 135 St and 94A Ave achieves a more urban, pedestrian-oriented streetscape, consistent with the goals of the City Centre Plan. A new green lane will also be dedicated and constructed to the north of the building as per the City Centre Plan, helping to break up the block and achieve a finer-grained street network.
As per the Planning Report, completion and occupancy is targeted for June 2020.
Birds-eye rendering of proposed buildingSubject site within City Centre Plan
View looking south-east at corner of City Parkway and new 106A Ave
New renderings were released this week of Lark Group’s upcoming ‘Veteran’s Village’ project – set to replace the existing Whalley Legion at 106 Ave & City Parkway. This latest design is the 4th redesign to be released publicly since the project was first announced back in 2015.
Design Progression
Initially, in 2015, the project was to feature twin towers resembling the Vimy Ridge Memorial in France. The design, by Michael Green Architecture, was noted to be conceptual at the time, and later proved to be a bit ambitious of an undertaking for the project.
2015 design for Veterans Village
In late 2016, a new design was revealed for the project, scaling it back to a single building of lesser height, and less iconic of architecture, yet still featuring reference to the Vimy Ridge Memorial, and situated on a site surrounded by expansive plaza space.
2016 design for a single tower project
A year later, in November 2017, an application was finally submitted for the project, but based on yet again, another redesign. This time, the project appeared to be scaled back even more. Much of the plaza space depicted in early designs had been eliminated, and the building’s architecture further simplified.
2017 Rendering looking east from City Parkway
Now, as of April 2018, a radical redesign has been released, showing a return to a 2-tower project, with a much more iconic, urban, and architecturally forward design. The tower has retained its reference to the Vimy Ridge Memorial through a creatively designed facade, and now fills out the block that it occupies in a much more urban form. Wide sidewalks are depicted on both City Parkway and 106 Avenue with double rows of boulevard trees – in what looks to be intended as a quasi plaza space at the base of the tower, integrated with the sidewalk. The tower heights have also changed – with the main tower depicted at 21 storeys and the tower behind at 27 storeys.
2018 design for Veteran’s Village looking north-east at corner of City Parkway and 106 AveProject location with City Centre Plan
With this return to a 2 tower design, it is unclear whether the 2nd tower is an envisioned 2nd phase – or if both will be built at the same time and also serve the same use purposes. From Lark Group’s website, the project is described as the first of its kind in Canada, and will be:
A multi-purpose facility designed as a centre of excellence in clinical and rehabilitation services for Veterans and first responders, with a mix of social and affordable housing. It will include space for research and delivery of health care programs, services and trauma counselling to address issues like PTSD. It will also provide clinical spaces to advance evidence-based services and programming in health, science and engineering, including innovations in robotics, assistive devices and exoskeletons for injured Veterans and first responders.
With the latest rendering release, it appears the project is getting closer to its final design, and it’s likely that it could appear before Council for preliminary approval in the coming months. Based on this, the project is likely to begin construction sometime in 2019.
A development application has been submitted for a 35-storey residential tower above a 4-storey podium, as well as a 3-storey stand-alone commercial building on a long vacant, grassed site, on Whalley Blvd just north of Canadian Tire near Central Avenue. The address of the site is actually 10342 136A St, as the site has frontage on both Whalley Blvd and 136A St.
Details of the application indicate that the residential tower and podium are to contain341 units, with 20,000 sq.ft. of ground floor retail, while the 3-storey stand-alone commercial building is to contain 23,800 sq.ft. of floor area (presumably office). In addition to the proposed buildings, the site has a future green-lane running east-west through it as per the City Centre Plan that will need to be dedicated as part of the development. Presumably, the 3-storey standalone commercial building will be located to the north of the lane, with the 35-storey tower and retail to the south.
The application is being represented by Focus Architecture Inc., who also designed the D’Corize tower at 104 Ave & University Dr, as well as the recent Delta Rise in North Delta. No renderings or further details of the application have been made public at this time. The site is directly to the north of Anthem Properties’ 7-tower ‘Georgetown’ development.
Subject site within the City Centre PlanBirds-eye view of site from Google MapsSubject site from Whalley Blvd looking north-westSubject site from Whalley Blvd looking south-west
A new 6-storey condo project first reported on back in February 2017, is gearing up to begin construction in the coming months. Called ‘Fraser Landmark’, the project will bring 121 ‘luxury’ condominiums and townhomes to the corner of Fraser Hwy and 140 St, directly across from Green Timbers Park at the south-east edge of City Centre.
Registration for the project is now open to potential buyers, with sales expected to launch on May 26, and construction to begin as early as August. The building, designed by DF Architecture, will help to create an urban streetscape through its sidewalk-oriented townhomes, and 6-storey height, replacing a vacant treed lot that exists today. The building will also be just steps from a future LRT station to be located at the same intersection, along the future Surrey-Langley LRT line.
Completion of the project is expected by December 2019.
Rendering of Fraser Landmark at the south-east edge of City CentreSite location at the south-east edge of City Centre
Proposed ‘Gateway’ tower site on King George Blvd at Bolivar Rd
A controversial proposal for a ‘gateway’ development on King George Blvd at Bolivar Rd at the north end of City Centre received conditional Council support on Monday in concept for its proposed density, but at the same time, was referred back to City staff for further refinement work with the applicant. The developer, an off-shore investor group known as ‘New Great Land Developing’, is proposing to amend both the Official Community Plan (OCP) and City Centre Plan to allow for:
One 24-storey residential tower above a 7-storey podium
One 24-storey residential tower above a 6-storey podium
One 22-storey residential tower above a 6-storey podium
Two stand-alone 6-storey residential buildings
The site’s current OCP designation of ‘Multiple Residential’ is proposed to be amended to ‘Central Business District’, while site’s City Centre Plan designation of ‘Residential Low to Mid Rise (2.5 FAR)’ is proposed to be amended to ‘Residential Mid to High Rise (3.5 – 5.5 FAR)’
Proposed development looking south towards existing City CentreProposed development looking south towards future built-out City Centre
In the Planning Report to Council, City staff gave 3 recommendation options to Council on how to proceed. They included:
Option A:
Refer the application back to staff to work with the applicant to develop the subject site in accordance with the “Low to Mid Rise Residential up to 2.5 FAR” designation in the City Centre Plan.
Option B:
Refer the application back to staff to work with the applicant to develop the subject site with a form of development that achieves a 6-storey form along King George Boulevard, a mid-rise (maximum 10-storey) form in the middle of the site, and a 4-5 storey form adjacent to the existing single family residential lots to the northeast of the subject site.
Option C:
Refer the application back to staff to continue to process the application at the density proposed (4.5 FAR), with the consideration of the provision of a significant amenity contribution above and beyond the required City Centre Amenity Charges and City Centre specific Development Cost Charges, which can be allocated towards amenity needs in the City Centre Plan area.
Proposed site plan with unique angular floor plates and substantial green roofs
Council gives conditional support for increased density
Despite Staff’s recommendation that Council choose option A, which would comply with the site’s OCP and City Centre Plan designations of ‘Low to Mid Rise Residential up to 2.5 FAR’ – Council voted in-favour of Option C, supporting the applicant’s proposal for amendments to the OCP and City Centre Plan for an increase in density to 4.5 FAR, on the condition of provision of a significant amenity contribution.
A presentation by the applicant’s representative and project architect – Musson Cattell Mackey (MCM) Partnership – argued for the higher density based on the site’s location at the northern ‘Gateway’ to City Centre, proximity to rapid transit, and the fact that 5.5 FAR is already permitted directly to south of the site across King George Blvd. Council agreed that such density would also be appropriate for this site given this context, and would help form a gateway straddling both sides of King George Blvd.
Subject Site at the north end of the City Centre Plan area (Orange = Low to Mid Rise, Purple = High Rise)
Despite the unique design of the towers as proposed, another condition of Council was that the project undergo further design revision to achieve an even more iconic look, suitable for a ‘gateway’ location, if the increase in density is to be allowed. When the project returns to Council at a later date, its possible that we could see a new design all together, or a just a refinement of what is currently proposed.
The first phase of Anthem Properties ‘Georgetown’ development at Whalley Blvd & 102 Ave is heading to Council on Monday for 1st & 2nd readings. The application is seeking Rezoning and Development Permit to allow for a single 30-storey residential tower above a 2-storey podium containing retail and townhouses. The tower will replace an existing A&W restaurant on that corner, and is the first of 7 towers to come as part of a master plan to redevelop the entire site which also contains a Save-On-Foods and Canadian Tire. In total, phase 1 will include 351 residential units, including 9 two-storey townhouses, above 15,435 sq.ft. of ground floor commercial space.
Architectural Design
The Chris Dikeakos Architects designed tower is shaped by its rounded/curved floor plate reflecting the curved nature of Whalley Blvd. Materials will include a glass curtain wall and high quality white metal panels on the podium, glass balconies wrapping the tower, and interspersed spandrel and white painted concrete. A graphic art illustration is contemplated for the glass at the street level. The rooftop mechanical enclosure will be screened by frosted glass, reflecting the rounded geometry of the tower, and be backlit – creating a lighting feature for the crown of the tower.
View from Whalley Blvd looking south-westView from future 102A Ave through site at corner of new Green Lane showing retail podium with townhouses above.View from corner of Whalley Blvd and future 102A Ave through site of retail podium with townhouses above.
Outdoor Amenity Space
A highlight of Phase 1 is the proposed outdoor amenity space to be located on the podium roof. Measuring 22,675 sq. ft., the outdoor amenity to be provided is double the minimum requirement under the sites zoning, and will feature: a sun deck, outdoor fitness and activity space, an outdoor theatre with covered seating area, a great lawn with outdoor lounge area, an outdoor dining room, a dog play area, and a walking/running circuit.
Phase 1 site plan showing expansive outdoor amenity space above the buildings podium
Road Dedications
In addition to the tower and retail podium, phase 1 will also dedicate and construct a new section of 102A Ave through the site, as well as a new north-south green lane to the west of the building. Additional road dedications will be taken along Whalley Blvd and 102 Ave for the widening of each of those streets to a full municipal collector road standard. New grade separated bike lanes will also be created along 102 Ave, Whalley Blvd, and 102A Ave.
Georgetown Master Plan
The ultimate master plan for Georgetown is to subdivide the entire property into 7 lots to allow for a mixed-use, multiple residential and commercial community to be completed over 7 phases. Designed by Vancouver-based CIVITAS Urban Design & Planning, Georgetown will consist of multiple buildings ranging from 6 to 45-storeys, with ground floor commercial space, and a significant public plaza located centrally within the site:
Phase 1: a 30-storey residential high-rise with ground floor commercial Phase 2: a 32-storey and a 31-storey residential high-rise with ground floor commercial Phase 3: a 6-storey residential building with ground floor commercial space centred on a large public plaza Phase 4: a 41-storey residential high-rise Phase 5: a 39-storey residential high-rise with office space Phase 6: a 45-storey residential high-rise with office space Phase 7: a 15-storey mid-rise residential building with ground floor commercial space.
Georgetown Phasing PlanMaster Plan for Georgetown Site
While no timeline is given for the ultimate build-out of the plan, Phase 1 on the south-west corner of the site is expected to begin construction in 2019. This will allow for the existing Save-on-Foods and Canadian Tire to remain in operation on the northern portion of the site in the interim until future phases are developed.
Ground level site plan for Phase 1 showing retail / restaurant unitsLevel 2 site plan for Phase 1 showing rooftop outdoor amenity, townhouses, and tower
