View looking west along 104 Avenue from King George Blvd
Surrey Council gave 1st & 2nd Readings on Monday night to Bosa BlueSky’s next project in Surrey City Centre – Brightside – which will now head to Public Hearing and 3rd Reading (Preliminary Approval) in 2 weeks. The project, which has been under application for the past 2 years, is set to transform the former Brick / Sears Outlet store site at City Parkway & 104 Avenue, which has been sitting vacant for numerous years now. Overall, the application is seeking:
- A General Development Permit (Form & Character) for the entire site to allow for a phased, mixed-used development consisting of 3 high-rise and 2 low-rise buildings, including:
- 40-Storey residential tower with ground floor retail (Phase 1)
- 50-Storey mixed-use residential tower with ground floor retail and 17 floors of office in a stepped podium (Future Phase)
- 50-Storey residential tower with market and rental units (Future Phase)
- 2.5-Storey market-hall commercial building
- 2-Storey amenity building
- A Detailed Development Permit for phase 1 of the project.
- OCP Amendment and City Centre Plan amendments to allow for up to 7.5 FAR (9.2 FAR net) density.
- Rezoning
- Consolidation from 2 existing lots to 2 new lots.
View looking north along City Parkway from Surrey Central Station 
View from public and amenity space within interior of site looking south 
View looking east along 104 Avenue 
Future ‘Market-hall’ commercial building in centre of site as part of future phases.
Designed by Perkins & Will, the first phase of the project, a 40-Storey residential tower with ground-floor retail, is to be located at the corner of City Parkway and 104 Avenue and will include:
- 418 Market Residential Units
- 2,831 sq.ft. of ground floor Retail
The remaining buildings, subject to future Detailed Development Permit applications, will be located further east along 104 Avenue and north along 105 Avenue. The tallest of the towers, the 50-Storey mixed-use building with 17-Storey office podium, would become the new tallest in Surrey once complete, assuming no other building surpasses it by then, at 554 ft. (169m). The two future low-rise amenity, and market-hall buildings located in the centre of the site are to be set within a publicly accessible plaza that will invite people into the site from 104 Avenue. The plaza will be activated by retail and restaurant spaces at grade, as well as landscaping, and public art, subject to future detailed design.
In total once all phases are complete, the project will include:
- 1,352 Residential Units (including 200 rental units)
- 202,146 sq.ft. of Office
- 37,049 sq.ft. of Retail
In addition to the buildings on site, the project will also bring into alignment the intersection of City Parkway and 104 Avenue. The north and south portions of City Parkway on either side of 104 Avenue currently do not connect. This alignment is expected to be completed as part of the first phase, with tower 1 to be aligned on an angle with the newly constructed City Parkway.
Phase 1 of the project is expected to be completed by 2025, with the remaining buildings to follow later in the decade. For more on the project:
https://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/PLR_7918-0350-00.pdf
Public consultation is set to get underway this month for the proposed Surrey Langley SkyTrain (SLS) extension, as well as the future of rapid transit along 104 Avenue & King George Blvd.
In 2014, the regional Mayors Council identified Fraser Highway, King George Boulevard, and 104 Avenue as priority corridors for rapid transit South of the Fraser in the 10-Year Vision. Following a study looking at combinations of SkyTrain, LRT, and Bus Rapid Transit for the corridors, the Mayors Council decided on 27-km of urban-style LRT on dedicated track (separate from traffic) on each of the corridors to be built over 2 phases:
- Phase 1: Surrey-Newton-Guildford Line on 104 Avenue & King George Boulevard
- Phase 2: Surrey-Langley Line on Fraser Highway
With funding in place to cover the entire first phase, and construction set to begin this year – a last minute request was made in 2018 by Surrey’s new Council to the regional Mayors’ Council to suspend the Phase 1 Surrey-Newton-Guildford LRT line and re-direct funding to the Phase 2 Surrey-Langley line instead, while switching the technology of the Phase 2 line to SkyTrain. The Mayors’ Council voted to move forward with this request, and directed TransLink to begin planning work for SkyTrain on Fraser Highway while at the same time re-visit rapid transit plans for 104 Avenue and King George Boulevard corridors.
Proposed Surrey Langley SkyTrain route and conceptual stations
The switch of priorities to the Phase 2 Fraser Highway line and changing its technology to SkyTrain has had implications both in budget and timeline. The funding that was allocated for the full Phase 1 Surrey-Newton-Guildford LRT line has been identified as inadequate to fund the entire Fraser Highway SkyTrain extension to Langley. Pending a future round of funding (timeline unclear), the line may have to be phased, with the current funding getting the line potentially only as far as Fleetwood. Start of construction and delivery of new rapid transit South of the Fraser is also now delayed by approximately 2 years as a result of the switch.
Despite the funding and timeline uncertainties, planning work is nonetheless well underway for the new SLS line, which will need to involve a significant re-evaluation of land-use plans along the Fraser Highway corridor to support SkyTrain, completion of a number of supportive studies, and extensive Public Consultation. In a project update report to Surrey Council this week – a preliminary timeline was given for this work by TransLink, with start of service targeted for 2025.
To run concurrently with the SLS planning and consultation work will be a planning process to ‘refresh’ the South Fraser Rapid Transit Strategy for delivering the Mayors’ Council fully envisioned 27km of Rapid Transit along each of the Fraser Hwy, King George Blvd, and 104 Ave corridors. This refresh will look to re-examine and engage the public on what rapid transit along the remaining corridors could look like, now that SkyTrain has been chosen as the technology for Fraser Hwy. The 2013 Rapid Transit Alternatives Study identified Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for these corridors based on a scenario with SkyTrain on Fraser Hwy. With much LRT planning work having now been completed however, for the 104 Ave and King George Blvd corridors, it’s possible that LRT could still be an option for them rather than BRT, especially given Surrey’s long-term rapid transit vision for an extensive LRT network on major arterials across the City.
The first round of Public Consultation on the SLS line and South Fraser Rapid Transit refresh gets underway on April 11 in Langley, with open houses in Surrey on April 15, 16, and 17. TransLink has also recently launched an online survey where you can voice your feedback on the proposed SLS line. Open House times are set for the following dates and locations between 3-8pm:
- Thursday, April 11 – Langley City Hall
- Monday, April 15 – Surrey Sport & Leisure Complex (Fleetwood)
- Tuesday, April 16 – Surrey City Hall
- Wednesday, April 17 – Newton Seniors Centre
More info on the land-use planning review process for the Fraser Highway Corridor being undertaken by the City of Surrey can be found here: https://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/CR_2019-R059.pdf
A development application has been submitted for a new mixed-use project on 104 Ave near Whalley Blvd. The subject site is made up of 3 existing properties that span the block between 104 Ave and Central Ave just east of Whalley Blvd. The site is currently occupied by a run-down early 1970’s strip mall known as ‘Plaza 104’.
According to details of the development application, the applicant – Andrew Cheung Architects – is seeking to rezone the property and amend both the Official Community Plan and City Centre Plan for increased density from 3.5 FAR to 5.5 FAR to allow for a phased 1149 unit mixed-use development containing 10,720 sq.ft. of commercial space. This translates into approximately 3 high-rise residential towers above retail. In addition, the development would dedicate a new north-south road through the site, as well as 2 new lanes as per the City Centre Plan.
The current application is seeking a Development Permit for phase 1, which is to contain a single tower (383 units) and all 10,720 sq.ft. of commercial space on a newly subdivided parcel fronting 104 Avenue. The remaining phases of the project to the south would be subject to future applications.
Site in context of the City Centre Plan showing future road and lane dedications 
Subject Site on 104 Avenue east of Whalley Blvd containing a 1970’s strip mall 
Birds-eye view of site looking south from 104 Ave
For more on the application: https://apps.surrey.ca/Online-Development-Inquiry/?year=19&seq=0060
With Doug McCallum’s win in last weekend’s election, Surrey appears to be in for change. Campaigning heavily on LRT and Safety, the topic of discussion now is whether he will deliver on his promise to ‘scrap’ LRT and ‘replace’ it with SkyTrain. It appears the majority of Surrey residents are in favour of this – fuelled by non-stop negative publicity of LRT in the media – but what does an LRT to SkyTrain ‘switch’ actually mean for Surrey? A few key implications to consider:
SkyTrain vs LRT – 2 different routes
A misconception that many who ‘voted’ for SkyTrain over LRT may have may have is that the proposed LRT will simply be ‘switched’ to SkyTrain. This is not the case – each would run along a different route. Let’s look at the difference:
LRT – City Centre-Newton-Guildford: The proposed ‘Phase 1’ LRT route – with secured funding and significant planning and design work already completed – is planned run from Guildford along 104 Avenue to City Centre, then south on King George Blvd to Newton. This is known as the ‘L’ Line or Surrey-Netwon-Guildford Line – serving Surrey’s most populated, and urban town centres.
Phase 1 LRT route along 104 Ave & King George Blvd + future Phase 2 route to Langley
SkyTrain – Fraser Highway: Doug McCallum’s SkyTrain – which would need to be planned and designed from scratch – would provide no rapid transit to Guildford or Newton (Surrey’s most populated / urban town centres) – but instead be an extension of the existing Expo Line down Fraser Highway to Fleetwood, Cloverdale (Surrey’s least populated / urban town centres) and Langley.
SkyTrain extension to Langley along Fraser Hwy through low density suburbs / ALR to Langley
The Land-Use Difference
LRT: The proposed ‘Phase 1’ LRT route would serve Surrey’s most established urban corridors with the highest densities – 104 Avenue and King George Blvd. Guildford Town Centre contains the regions 2nd largest shopping centre, numerous high-rises and offices. Further, the currently underway Guildford-104 Avenue Corridor Plan which is set to become adopted in 2019, has designated land all along 104 Avenue between City Centre and Guildford for increased urban densities appropriate for a rapid transit corridor. A similar plan is set to follow for the King George corridor between City Centre and Newton. Simply put – 104 Avenue and King George Blvd are the most appropriate corridors for initial rapid transit expansion in Surrey due to their already underway land-use planning for higher density, and their existing densities, land-use, and most urban character of Surrey’s corridors.
Phase 1 LRT route along existing urban corridors with planned density 
Guildford – 104 Avenue Corridor Plan – urban density planned along LRT route
SkyTrain: Doug McCallum’s SkyTrain would run down Fraser Highway which currently has no land-use plans for significant urban density underway, and is currently of the lowest density and suburban of corridors in Surrey. The SkyTrain route would run through:
- Green Timbers Forest for the first 2km of its route
- the low density suburban neighbourhood of Fleetwood for the next 5km
- ALR farm land for the next 2km
- and finally low density suburban Clayton/Cloverdale and Langley for the remaining 6km of the route
This route would have the lowest densities of any SkyTrain corridor in the region – including significant stretches through forest and ALR farm land – unseen anywhere else on the SkyTrain system. SkyTrain along Fraser Highway would require significant land-use changes along Fraser Highway to justify it – including significant increases in density, high-rise towers, and transit-oriented development – similar to elsewhere along the SkyTrain network. This would require changes to the Official Community Plan (OCP) – ironically Doug McCallum campaigned against OCP amendments.
Simply put – this type of development is incompatible with the scale and character of the Fraser Highway corridor that is predominantly newer single family homes and townhomes. Many living along that corridor would surely object to such drastic land-use changes appropriate for a SkyTrain line.
SkyTrain extension through low density suburbs / ALR with no planned urban density
From a land-use planning perspective – it makes the most sense to serve the highest density corridors and urban centres (104 Avenue – King George Blvd) with rapid transit prior to lower density corridors such as Fraser Highway. Instead, a SkyTrain extension over LRT would do the exact opposite of what makes sense. While it is important to provide a rapid transit link to Langley, and connect the communities of Fleetwood, Clayton/Cloverdale with regional rapid transit – from a land-use and planning perspective these areas are lower priority than Guildford and Newton – and Fraser Highway does not have density appropriate for SkyTrain. In an ideal world, Langley would be serviced by long-distance commuter rail such as all-day WestCoast Express – but realistically – LRT may be the best option for serving Langley down Fraser Highway as a Phase 2 project – given the density, scale, and character of that corridor.
Uncertain Timeline
LRT: Funding for the proposed ‘Phase 1’ LRT route is “in the mail” from the Federal and Provincial Governments. Significant planning, consultation work, and design has been underway for years, and the project is now at the procurement stage with construction set to begin in 2019 and completion by 2024.
LRT scheduled to begin construction in 2019 – years of planning, consultation, design already complete.
SkyTrain: Doug McCallum claims that secured funding for LRT can simply be ‘switched’ to fund a SkyTrain extension to Langley instead of the Guildford Newton line. While this may be possible, as the funding doesn’t specify a type of rail – the fact is – no planning, consultation, or design work has been completed on a SkyTrain extension down Fraser Highway. The amount of time and additional resources that would need to go into a SkyTrain extension prior to its construction would not only delay the project for an unforeseen number of extra years – pushing completion of this line to the late 2020’s.
By that time, Phase 2 of the LRT is likely to be under construction – resulting in Surrey having 2 new rapid transit lines by the late 2020’s instead of just a single SkyTrain extension down low-density Fraser Hwy within the same time frame.
While these reasons aren’t exhaustive in the debate – they are very key ones that have been surprisingly absent talking points. Surrey residents may not have been the best informed on the SkyTrain vs LRT debate thanks to the media – to make an educated decision that weighs more factors than just ‘speed of service’ and ‘glamour of SkyTrain vs LRT’ – but in the end it may not matter. The LRT project is likely too far along at this stage and with too much else to consider to simply be ‘switched’. It is being led by non-partisan land-use and transit planning experts in the Planning & Transportation Departments (not the former Mayor or Councillors as some may believe) – experts who should be leading such projects – rather than transit planning on a whim by politicians and voters.
The City of Surrey began a series of 3 open houses on Thursday for Phase 1 of the upcoming Surrey LRT project. This latest public engagement is the 3rd round of open houses on Phase 1 the project, providing refined plans based on public input from previous consultations. Presented at the open house were preliminary station designs, road designs, information on construction planning, environmental and socio-economic study results, and more. A full set of the Open House Boards can be found here.
Station Designs
Overall, stations are designed to be highly visible, well-lit, and well integrated into the community – accessible by well-marked pedestrian crossings providing universal accessibility for all riders. Lengthy platform shelters protect riders from weather, and include space for ATM’s, information boards, seating, and more – while maintaining a clear line of sight to the street and approaching trains. Stations will in most cases be located in the centre median of the street, with the exception of King George, Surrey Central and Newton Town Centre – where they will be plaza oriented, or off to the side. Public art will also be integrated into stations along the route.
Roadway Design
LRT will run on its own dedicated track for the entirety of the line, with the exception of City Parkway where it will be integrated into a pedestrian plaza. Placement of the LRT track will vary – typically located in the centre median for most of the route, but off to the side in some sections.
Roadway design for 104 Avenue will consist of LRT in the centre median, and 1 traffic lane in each direction, widening to include an additional turning lane at major intersections. The 104 Avenue design will also provide upgraded and enhanced sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, and connections to stations. Currently 104 Avenue functions as a non-pedestrian friendly, busy arterial for cars. A re-purposed 104 Avenue with LRT will transform the street into a calmed, pedestrianized and transit-oriented corridor, supported by multi-family housing and streetfront shops along the route. The newly widened 100 Avenue and existing 108th Avenue corridors will become the new car-prioritized east-west routes between City Centre and Guildford while 104 Avenue will be the pedestrian/transit prioritized corridor.
Roadway design for King George Blvd will retain 2 traffic lanes in each direction while allowing for LRT in the median for the majority of the route. Sections of King George in City Centre will see LRT routed off to one side. New separated bike lanes, enhanced sidewalks, and pedestrian crossings will also be a key component of the re-designed King George.
Pedestrianized Plazas at Surrey Central & King George Stations
Taking inspiration from leading cities around the world, Surrey Central and King George Stations in City Centre are designed to be integrated into new pedestrianized public plazas. These plazas will help to create vibrant transfer points between LRT and SkyTrain’s expo line, similar to plaza’s found throughout Europe with multi-modal rail connections running through them.
Socio-Economic Study: Improved Travel Times
A key finding of the socio-economic study released at the open house, was the improvement in travel times that LRT will offer over the existing 96 B-Line bus service, as well as private automobile. Under Section 7.2 of the study it was found that the existing 96 B-Line service between Guilford-Newton currently takes 29 minutes under ideal conditions. During periods of congestion however, this trip can take longer than 50 minutes. Further, this travel time is expected to worsen as population grows. LRT is able to cut this travel time by up to half, taking a consistent 27-minutes every time, on opening day, and a decade later, due to its dedicated track. In addition to this, LRT offers faster service and improved experience due to:
- More doors for boarding, significantly reducing stop times at stations, and travel times overall.
- Nearly twice as frequent peak service as the existing 96 B-Line peak bus service.
- A smoother, more comfortable ride than B-Line bus, with less stop and go.
96 B-Line subject to traffic congestion – travel times between Guildford and Newton up to 50 mins during peak hours.
Integration with the Community
One of the key benefits of LRT is its integration with the community and streetscape compared to SkyTrain. While SkyTrain serves well as a long distance commuter rail service, LRT is better suited to more localized routes in the region – similar to other cities where there are various tiers of rail transit making up the regional transit network. Not every line in a city needs to be the same type of rail transit – LRT, Subway, and Commuter Rail are often combined to compliment each other and serve different needs. The introduction of LRT to Metro Vancouver represents a maturing of our rail transit network into a multi-modal system, and it is very likely we will see LRT implemented elsewhere in the region following Surrey.
In Surrey, the 104 Avenue and King George Highway corridors that make up the ‘L’ line are much better suited to urban-style LRT than SkyTrain. Not only is this route more localized than regionally serving, but SkyTrain just doesn’t make sense from a cost perspective, and the impacts that such guideways would have on the streetscapes. Looking at a comparison between SkyTrain guideways in Richmond City Centre and Coquitlam City Centre, it is clear to see how much better LRT integrates with the streetscape and community it passes through, rather than bisecting it with an obtrusive, shadowing, and noisy concrete structure. LRT can transform a streetscape into an inviting, pedestrian friendly, vibrant urban environment – whereas SkyTrain does the opposite.
Impact of SkyTrain guideways on the urban environment/streetscape vs urban-style LRT
For more on Surrey LRT:
https://surreylightrail.ca
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
New plaza at corner of Old Yale Road & City Parkway 
Conceptual ground level floor plan 
Office tower views 
Premium fitness facilities for office tower tenants
Proposed exterior upgrades and residential conversion along King George Blvd 
Elevation of proposal looking north along King George Blvd
Proposed site plan including public realm and streetscape enhancements
Invest Surrey & Partner’s presentation centre at MIPIM 2018
Looking north on 133 St 
Looking east from 133 St 
Looking east through a future pedestrian corridor towards Civic Plaza 
Looking south on 133 St 
Looking east along Central Avenue 
Townhouse units along Central Avenue 
North facade of tower 
3-Storey retail/office component on Central Avenue 
Looking south from parkette at Wave 
Looking south – Wave parkette and public art sculpture in foreground 
South side of office/retail building
Dominion Bar + Kitchen nearing completion fronting Civic Plaza 
Landscaping along Central Avenue next to the Dominion Bar + Kitchen Patio 
Staircase and entry to Dominion Bar + Kitchen Patio 
New sidewalk along Central Avenue next to Dominion Bar + Kitchen Patio 
Dominion Bar + Kitchen + Civic Hotel Entrance along Civic Plaza Lane 
Daytime shot of Dominion Bar + Kitchen – additional signage for Civic Hotel still to be installed on podium 
Dominion Bar + Kitchen featuring numerous doors/windows which will open to the Plaza 
Civic Hotel Lobby 
Civic Hotel Lobby 
Civic Plaza Lane in front of Hotel Lobby
Rendering of central public ‘Piazza’ space within Passages development
Subject Site containing an existing 3-storey apartment complex 
Subject site containing an existing 3-storey apartment complex 
Subject site within City Centre Plan 
Subject site at 10342 136A St
Subject site within the City Centre Plan 
Birds-eye view of site from Google Maps 
Subject site from Whalley Blvd looking north-west 
Subject site from Whalley Blvd looking south-west
http://www.centralcity.ca
View looking south on King George Blvd from Bolivar Rd 
View looking south along Barker St from Bolivar Rd 
View of interior ‘Orchard Plaza’ from Barker St 
Close-up view of interior ‘Orchard Plaza’ with interactive stormwater feature 
View of Cafe and plaza at corner of King George and Bolivar within Phase 1 
Public realm entry into interior of site from King George Blvd 
View looking north along King George Blvd of landscaped sidewalk and bike path 
Proposed Phasing Plan 
Landscape Site Plan
Subject Site at 9656 King George Blvd