With the new year upon us, it’s time for this blog’s annual review of the past year in Surrey City Centre, as well as a look at what can be expected ahead in 2020. Additionally this year, we will also take a look back at the past decade, which saw accelerating growth and transformation in City Centre, a trend likely to persist as Surrey’s downtown becomes further established, and continues to attract more people, businesses, institutions, and jobs.

Growth in 2019

Construction activity in Surrey City Centre reached record levels in 2019, with many projects approved in previous years entering the construction phase, joining others already under construction, and others completing. Overall 2019 construction activity is summarized below:

6 significant projects began construction

• One Central | 44 Storeys
• Georgetown One | 30 Storeys
• Linea | Residential | 28 Storeys
• Veterans Village | Mixed-Use | 20 Storeys
• Camellia | Residential | 5 Storeys
• La Voda | Residential | 6 Storeys

7 significant projects continued construction

• King George Hub B | Residential, Office, Retail | 15 + 29 + 40 Storeys
• Park Boulevard | Residential | 39 Storeys
• King George Hub C | Rental Residential | 34 Storeys
• City Centre 3 | Office, Retail | 10 Storeys
• Fraser Landmark | Residential | 6 Storeys
• Maverick | Residential | 5 Storeys
• 13904 102 Ave | Residential | 4 Storeys

8 significant projects completed construction

• Prime | Residential, Office, Retail | 37 Storeys
• Evolve | Residential, Office, Retail | 36 Storeys
• Aspire | Residential | 6 Storeys
• Porte HQ | Residential | 6 Storeys
• SFU Sustainable Energy & Environmental Engineering Building | 5 Storeys
• 9909 140 St | Residential | 4 Storeys
• Surrey Central Station Expansion
• West Village Park & District Energy Centre

One Central under excavation at Central Ave & 133A St Linea by Rize under construction at 104 Ave & 133 St King George Hub (Phase B) under construction at King George Blvd & Fraser Hwy Park Boulevard under construction on Whalley Blvd near 100 Ave King George Hub B & Park Boulevard as seen from Fraser Hwy Georgetown One under excavation at Whalley Blvd & 102 Ave City Centre 3 by Lark Group under construction on 96 Ave Aspire recently completed on 101 Ave near Whalley Blvd Prime completed in Fall 2019 at University Dr & Central Ave HQ by Porte at 140 St & 105A Ave completed early 2019 Evolve completed in 2019 at Central Ave & 133 St SFU Sustainable Energy & Environmental Engineering Building completed in Spring 2019 Surrey Central Station expansion completed in Spring 2019 West Village Park & District Energy Centre completed in Spring 2019

As for new Development Applications, 2019 saw a drop from 2018’s record number of 25 applications, to 19 new applications. This is still well above all previous years in the decade between 2010 and 2017, indicating continued strong interest from the development community in 2019. These 19 new Development Applications included approximately 21 towers (>6 Storeys) and 14 low-rises (4-6 Storeys), comprising over 7,200 units and over 300,000 sq.ft. of commercial space in 2019 applications alone.

As of January 2020, in total there are currently 65 significant active applications either under review, approved, or under construction in City Centre consisting of approximately 69 high rises (>6 Storeys) and 44 low-rises (

Conceptual Rendering of Surrey City Centre in 2040

A landmark decision was made tonight as Surrey City Council gave final adoption to the new City Centre Plan. The plan, which has been under development for the past 10 years, is a major revision and update to the first City Centre Plan adopted back in 1991. Its aim is to redefine the vision and help better establish and reinforce a desirable development pattern for Surrey’s downtown. The 500-page document is full of visionary guidelines, objectives, and plans for the area, which will guide development over the next 30 years.

Below are some of the highlights:

“The goal of the Surrey City Centre Plan is to help develop and support a regional downtown that is the main business, cultural and activity centre for the City of Surrey. It is anticipated that the existing City Centre population of 32,000 will more than double by 2033 to approximately 68,000 people and the number of jobs will increase from 24,000 to 32,000 over the next 10 years.” The population of Surrey as a whole is expected to grow from 550,000 today to over 800,000 within 30 years to become the largest city in BC.

“Surrey’s City Centre is undergoing a major transformation from a suburban centre into a walkable high density, transit oriented downtown for South of the Fraser. Surrey City Centre is envisioned to be the Fraser Valley’s metropolitan centre, connected to major regional destinations by rapid transit and an efficient road network designed to support walking, cycling, and transit. It will be a centre for major employment; services; higher density housing; and commercial, cultural, entertainment, and institutional activity. Surrey City Centre is also designated as Metro Vancouver’s second metropolitan centre in the 2040 Regional Growth Strategy.”

“Distinct and vibrant neighbourhoods, including a dynamic and innovative business sector, university, hospital, and civic and historic districts, will form the framework of the City Centre. Each of these areas will have its own unique character that together will create a diverse, authentic, and interesting downtown.”

Artistic rendering of Surrey Central Station and a pedestrianized City Parkway with LRT

City Centre Neighbourhoods

• The City Centre Plan area has been organized into a number of distinct residential neighbourhoods and mixed use districts each with its own emerging identity, function, and scale. These sub areas help to create a focused, vibrant, and more urban downtown by defining and understanding the plan area through a smaller scale and framework.

1960’s Rickshaw Restaurant Sign at 10522 King George Blvd – Photo by Rebecca Bollwitt/Miss604

• A Mid-Century Historic District:
  • Building on the historic roots of the area, the vision for the Historic District is to support a pedestrian-oriented eclectic shopping experience with a continuous commercial and retail edge with pedestrian amenities. The historic, mid-century modern feel will be preserved and reinforced through small storefronts, building façade treatment and materials, public art, and signage.
  • New developments will incorporate the 1950’s character by using elements that reflect a mid-century modern design aesthetic. These elements include flat roof lines, vertically oriented windows, cantilevered overhangs, and clean and contemporary lines.

  • Preservation of mid-century heritage signs. If re-use of the sign is not possible, new developments should integrate the heritage sign into the redevelopment through an adaptive re-use approach.

Conceptual rendering of Surrey Central area – Existing and Future SFU buildings in red.

• Central Downtown:
  • A major transit hub will be located at the core of the district, building on the existing Surrey Central Exchange and SkyTrain station with the addition of light rail transit(LRT). The suburban style bus loop will be reconfigured into a new on-street transit exchange, as the bus layover and ice arenas are relocated away from the central core.
  • The presence of significant new university buildings will expand in the Central Downtown, creating a stronger campus identity and student energy at street level. Research buildings with large floor plates will have active retail street frontages and transparent storefronts to engage the pedestrian with the innovative internal uses.

• Central City Mall Redevelopment:
  • Over the longer term, the Central City Mall property will redevelop to create a site that has improved interface and connection to Holland Park as well as a broader range of mixed of uses. The retail uses in the parking lot areas along King George Boulevard will intensify and include office and residential components.
  • The interface along Holland Park will also be improved with redevelopment of the parkade structures into high density residential buildings and a redesign that creates direct connection through the mall site to Holland Park.

Greenways and Parks Network

• The downtown will be known for its green urban infrastructure of parks, plazas, greenways, planted boulevards, and rain gardens, as well as for its existing natural features that include fish bearing creeks, riparian areas, and spectacular views to the North Shore and North Cascade Mountains.

• Rapid transit is a cornerstone of the City Centre, both for existing conditions as well as future planning. The existing elevated rapid train system (SkyTrain) links the City Centre with the region north of the Fraser River. A new Light Rail Train (LRT) network is planned to expand the rapid transit service. This network consists of two lines: the ‘L-line’, and the ‘Fraser Highway Line’, which is 17 kilometres long.

• The vision for City Centre’s street network is for a finer-grained, connected framework that facilitates mobility and enhances the safety for all citizens, creating a vibrant, pedestrian-oriented downtown.

• City Parkway will become a car-free zone from 102A Avenue to Central Avenue (103 Ave) and include an LRT station next to Surrey Central SkyTrain Station. The station area is planned as a signature LRT station with the termination of the Fraser Highway line, and intersection of the L-line along City Parkway.

• There are three large public plazas in City Centre. The largest is the Civic Plaza, designed as contemporary open space which offers programmable open space for gatherings and large special events. The Civic Plaza will provide a central corridor that connects the institutions of the civic precinct.

•  The redevelopment of the Recreation Centre and the relocation of the North Surrey Arena’s will enable the extension of the Civic Plaza to the south, ultimately linking with the Central City Plaza to create one of Metro Vancouver’s largest urban plaza systems.

• Whalley’s Corner Plaza at 108 Avenue and King George Boulevard will provide a contemporary link to the Whalley’s history, with opportunities for public art and interpretation.

• King George Boulevard, between 102 Avenue and 104 Avenue, will emerge as a true “ Boulevard” , with the low intensity commercial and parking lot uses redeveloping into a street-facing downtown shopping area.

• As part of humanizing King George Boulevard, a significant public art installation will be located in the centre of King George Boulevard median, in the residual road right-of-way area created by the narrowing of the street as the LRT turns onto 102 Avenue. As well, segregated cycle tracks will be introduced along King George Boulevard.

• A public art walking loop linking key public art installations. Along the walk will be new art installations, building façade improvements, artistic street furniture, and banners. Corner plazas, seating areas and architectural featuring, will be realized along the art walk through the development of private property.

• An iconic public art installation is envisioned as part of a cultural catalyst project within the City Centre Plaza. An art installation at a world-class scale, located within the core of City Centre, will inspire residents and visitors, energize an important public space and stimulate social interaction and discussion.

• The proposed LRT system should incorporate public art features that promote unique community identities.

While there is too much information in the document to fully cover here, overall, this visionary new plan can be seen as at the forefront of contemporary urban design and planning. As it guides growth over the next few decades, Surrey City Centre is likely to become a world-leading example of how to transform a former suburban centre into a high-quality, mixed-use, mixed-density, environmentally sustaining, culturally rich, and desirable urban centre.

For much more on the new City Centre Plan, click below for the full report:

The GEC Education Mega Centre project reached a milestone on Oct 2, receiving 1st and 2nd readings before Surrey Council. The proposed 55-storey tower, set to become Metro Vancouver’s 2nd tallest, will now proceed to Public Hearing for 3rd Reading (Preliminary Approval) on October 23rd.

Proposal

From the planning report to council on Oct 2, the proposed development is to consist of a 55-storey tower with a mix of academic, commercial and residential uses at a density of 12.25 FAR. This will include:

• A 6-storey podium with 486 square metres (5,233 sq.ft.) of ground-level commercial retail space, and 5 storeys of college/academic space, including classrooms and offices.
• 33 floors dedicated to fully-furnished “serviced apartments” for students (subject to a housing agreement to ensure student occupancy)
• 12 floors of flexible accommodation that provide “short-stay” (not more than 182 days in a 12-month period) hotel accommodations

As part of this application, a portion of 102A Avenue will be dedicated and constructed, along with widening along City Parkway. A new signalized intersection at City Parkway and 102A Avenue will also be delivered.

Discounting the land to be dedicated for road, the proposed Education Centre has a net density of 18.25 FAR.

Developer

The project is being developed under a partnership between Surrey-based developer WestStone Group, and Vancouver-based CIBT Education Group. CIBT Education Group is an education provider that targets primarily international students, and operates Sprott Shaw College, Sprott Shaw Language College, Vancouver International College and CIBT School of Business, amongst others.

CIBT Education Group offers business and management programs and other vocational programs through these schools. Specifically, the Education Centre is intended to offer programs that will integrate with the services and functions proposed in the City’s Innovation Boulevard plans, including in the fields of medical assistance and facility operations.

Road Dedication

As part of the proposal, the project will dedicate approximately 7 metres for the widening of City Parkway, which will be required to accommodate the future LRT line and stop, as well as a new sidewalk and a separated bike lane. A new portion of 102A Avenue will also be constructed along the north property line, and a new lane will be constructed through the podium of the building running north-south towards the rear of the site.

Design Features

The project will feature an outdoor plaza at the northwest corner of the site, where the building is supported by a 4-storey fork column to create an open, bright, publicly accessible open space.

In order to provide articulation in the tower, differentiation has been introduced at the amenity levels by setting the glass back and opening up the floor plate to provide outdoor amenity space. LED lighting will be provided to highlight the undersides of each amenity level in the tower.

A Commercial Retail Unit (CRU) fronts City Parkway and wraps onto the outdoor plaza to bring additional activity into the space. The main lobby fronts 102A Avenue and also wraps onto the outdoor plaza. A second, smaller CRU fronts 102A Avenue.

The podium and tower base will provide a strong urban edge and street wall along City Parkway and 102A Avenue.

For more information on the project:

http://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/PLR_7917-0159-00%20(2).pdf

The City of Surrey held a public open house last week on the in-progress, Guildford Town Centre – 104 Avenue Plan. The plan, which has been under study since last year, is seeking to define a vision and prepare a long-range land-use plan to guide future growth along the 104 Avenue Corridor and Guildford Town Centre areas.

Presented to the public at the open house last week were 2 land-use concept options, along with a proposed street network, bicycle and pedestrian network, and parks and open space concept.

Land-Use Concept Option 1: Focused Growth

Land-Use Concept Option 1 seeks to focus growth and density in key areas of the plan, such as along 104 Avenue and areas surrounding Guildford Town Centre. The plan envisions:

• A continuous stretch of 6-storey mixed-use/apartments (Dark orange) along 104 Avenue
• Mid to high-rise mixed-use (pink) at 104 Ave & 144 St.
• Mid to high-rise along 104 Ave east of 148 St and to the north and east of Guildford Town Centre – with the tallest tower heights (purple) concentrated on the former Sears site.
• 4-storey apartment areas (light orange) dispersed throughout the plan area
• Townhouses (yellow) in a few areas
• Single Family housing preserved in a number of areas, mostly west of 148 St.

Land-Use Concept Option 1: Focused Growth

Land-Use Concept Option 2: Dispersed Growth

Land-Use Concept Option 2, while very similar, seeks to disperse growth and densities over the plan area, with lower intensities of density, but increased density covering more area. This includes:

• A wider continuous stretch of 6-storey mixed-use/apartments (Dark orange) along 104 Avenue
• Mid to high-rise mixed-use (Pink) to the north and east of Guildford Town Centre.
• 4-storey apartment areas (light orange) more widely dispersed throughout the plan area
• Townhouses (yellow) more widely dispersed across the plan area
• Slightly less preserved Single Family housing.

Land-Use Concept Option 2: Dispersed Growth

Proposed Street Network

The proposed street network adds a number of new local and collector streets to improve connectivity through a finer-grained network. One of these new collectors is the currently underway 105A Avenue connector project which will provide an alternate east-west route to 104 Avenue linking City Centre to Guildford. A long-range new street network is shown on the site of Guildford Town Shopping Centre – envisioning the future redevelopment of this mall into an urban district far into the future – similar to the vision for the Metropolis at Metrotown Shopping Centre site in Burnaby under the Metrotown Plan.

Proposed Bike and Pedestrian Network

The proposed bike and pedestrian network creates a number of new multi-use paths and road-separated bike lanes improving connectivity throughout the plan area. Pedestrian and cycling crossings at busy intersections would be enhanced under the plan to improve safety and streetscape integration. Existing bike lanes would be upgraded to be physically separated from the road.

Proposed Parks and Open Space

The proposed parks and open space plan illustrates how parks, habitat areas, and the city’s Green Infrastructure Network will be integrated into the plan area. A key feature of the plan is a ‘Green Loop’ pedestrian and cycling network stretching east-west with north-south connections – improving non-automobile connectivity in the area and connecting the many parks. In addition to existing parks shown in light green, many new parks are shown in dark green, including expansions to Hawthorne Park.

Future Light Rail Transit (LRT)

An integral part of the 104 Avenue – Guildford Town Centre Plan area will be the new LRT line linking City Centre to Guildford along 104 Avenue, and further south to Newton. This urban-style, low floor, LRT system will not just be a rapid transit line passing through the area, but a fully streetscape-integrated, centrepiece of the 104 Avenue corridor. Combined with a continuous 6-storey mixed-use density along 104 Avenue, the corridor will be transformed into a transit/pedestrian-oriented and prioritized streetscape, similar to precedents in Europe and elsewhere around the world. The LRT will support the densities along the the 104 Avenue Corridor, and integrate seamlessly into the community – unlike SkyTrain which bisects and has a negative visual and physical impact on the streetscape.

To find out more about the Guildford Town Centre – 104 Avenue Plan, and participate in the public survey – visit:
http://www.surrey.ca/city-services/24723.aspx