A proposal to revitalize an existing rental tower and create 63 new rental units at King George Blvd & 98th Avenue was stalled by Surrey’s new Council on Monday, after being denied 1st & 2nd readings for not looking satisfactory enough, in Council’s opinion. The application, which is proposing to convert an existing 3-storey commercial building on site to rental residential, and upgrade the exterior of the 18-storey tower behind it, was sent back to staff to work with the applicant on unspecified revisions.

Designed in partnership with MCM Architects and PWL Landscape Architects, the project would bring a welcome facelift to the existing buildings on site, originally completed in 1982, as well as improve the surrounding streetscape. Aside from aesthetic upgrades, the primary objective of the project is to create 63 new rental units on site through the conversion of the existing 3-storey commercial building along King George Blvd. Details of the proposed upgrades include:

• Modernization and conversion of the existing low-rise commercial building to rental residential. Exterior cladding to be replaced with new materials consisting of high quality white fibre cement panels, and charcoal seam metal cladding.
• Landscaping along King George Blvd enhanced and modified to suit residential use and layout
• New plaza at the north-east corner of the site to help activate the streetscape along King George Blvd
• The existing 18-storey tower to receive new exterior paint and glass balcony rail replacements with colour enhancements.

Proposed exterior upgrades and residential conversion along King George Blvd Elevation of proposal looking north along King George Blvd

Despite the high quality materials proposed, and thoughtfully designed plan which works within the given site constraints, Council was of the opinion that the design was not suitable enough to be allowed to proceed. Without giving any specific recommendations on how to improve the design, the project was sent back to staff to work with the applicant on revisions to the plan, despite staff already working closely with the design team to date. The building’s modernization, and the delivery of new rental units to City Centre is now delayed pending unclear revisions, until the project can return to Council for consideration once again.

The conversion is supported by Surrey Staff as the existing commercial building has long suffered from poor vacancy rates and high tenant turn-over due to physical attributes of the building, and its poor integration with the neighbourhood. The proposed residential use is seen as appropriate for this location, being across from a SkyTrain station and the developing context of the area.

Proposed site plan including public realm and streetscape enhancements

The Surrey Village Tower currently contains 227 rental units in the existing 18-storey tower, managed by RealStar. The addition of the proposed 63 new units would bring the total rental units to 290.

King George Hub Phasing Plan

A development application has been submitted for Phase ‘C’ of PCI Group’s ‘King George Hub’ at Fraser Hwy & King George Blvd next to King George Station. Details of the application indicate that Phase ‘C’ will consist of a single 34-storey mixed-use tower just to the east of Phase ‘A’ – the landmark 10-storey Coast Capital Savings headquarters built in 2014. No renderings of the tower have been released at this time, but the project is proposed to contain 363 residential units above 10,000 sq.ft. of ground-level retail.

With the application just submitted, it is expected that Phase ‘C’ will not likely begin construction until around 2020/21, around the time when Phase ‘B’ reaches completion. It could however be fast-tracked to begin sooner, given the strong response for Phase ‘B’ – which sold out both its residential towers in a matter of days. Phase ‘B’ is set to begin construction in the coming months, and will contain 29 & 40-storey residential towers, a 15-storey office tower, a 2-storey (9,376 sq.ft.) standalone restaurant next to the Coast Capital Savings Headquarters, and 112,535 sq.ft. of retail.

King George Hub Phases A & B – Facing North-West King George Hub Phases A & B – Facing North-East King George Hub Phase A & B – View North from King George Blvd View South of Phase ‘B’ Retail Plaza View South of Phase ‘B’ Retail Plaza 41st floor residential rooftop amenity area – Phase ‘B’

Following Phase ‘C’ will be the final phase of King George Hub – Phase ‘D’. No details of Phase ‘D’ have been released yet, but this last piece of the site at the corner of Fraser Hwy and Whalley Blvd is expected to add 2-3 more residential towers above retail. Full buildout of all phases is expected to be complete around 2025, and will be accompanied by numerous other surrounding projects – also expected to complete within that timeframe.

For more on King George Hub:
http://kinggeorgehub.com/

Rendering of the new North Station House interior concourse at Surrey Central Station.

A press conference was held Friday to announce that the long awaited upgrades to Surrey Central Station will begin next month. The project itself has been known about and in the planning stages for quite sometime now, with construction originally supposed to have begun back in fall 2016. With this delay, it appears the upgrades will now not be complete until towards the end of 2018. The station upgrade is a part of TransLink’s station upgrade program, which has seen upgrades at Scott Rd, Main Street, and New Westminster Stations, as well as the ongoing work on Metrotown, Commercial-Broadway, and Joyce-Collingwood Stations.

In all, 3 levels of government and TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond joined on Friday to announce $25 million in funding for the station, which will see a new north station house built at the corner of 103 Avenue and City Parkway. The new station house will bring a new elevator, new escalators, a new staircase, better lighting, and a spacious new interior concourse area to the north end of the station, better connecting to Civic Plaza and the future 103 Avenue on-street bus exchange. The new station house will also help to fill in a gap along City Parkway with new building frontage where a small parking lot currently exists, improving continuity along the streetscape.

With an estimated nearly 30,000 commuters passing through Surrey Central Station daily, it is already one of the busiest stations on the SkyTrain network, and projected to become even busier with continued rapid population growth South of the Fraser, the densifying Surrey Central neighbourhood around it, and with the future LRT line planned to connect directly with the station in the next 5 years. Already, the north fire exit of the station is being frequently used as an informal exit by many commuters, indicating demand for access at this end of the station, with new bus bays having been located to the north in recent years. The new upgrades will greatly improve access to the station and better integrate it with the surrounding community.

Rendering of the new North Station House fronting City Parkway at 103 Avenue

Plan view of the new North Station House at City Parkway and 103 Avenue

Elevation schematic showing the integration of the new station house into the existing station

View from 103 Avenue looking east

View from City Parkway looking south

New City Parkway entrance

View looking north along City Parkway

For more on the project:

http://www.translink.ca/en/Plans-and-Projects/Station-and-Exchange-Improvements/Expo-Line-Upgrades/Surrey-Central-Station-Upgrades.aspx

The August Issue of the City Centre Update is now available at SurreyCityCentre.ca. This month’s newsletter includes a round-up of Council Approvals and Construction activity during the past month of July 2021.

Council Approvals

The past month saw 2 major projects receive approvals from Surrey City Council. As of August 2021, there are 37 major projects approved in City Centre, representing 40 high-rise and 25 low-rise buildings.

20 – 0244 | Innovation Village

This 3-tower mixed-use project by WestStone Group on King George Blvd across from Surrey Memorial Hospital received 3rd Reading (Preliminary Approval) on July 26. The application is seeking a Rezoning, OCP & City Centre Plan Amendment, and General Development Permit to allow for three towers to be built in phases.

The tallest tower (37-storeys) closest to King George Blvd is to contain retail & office space on levels 1-5 with residential above. The remaining 2 towers to the east (31 & 12-storeys) are to be entirely residential. Separate detailed Development Permit applications are to follow in the future for each building.

View looking north along new 95 Avenue Plan view of Innovation Village with new 95 Avenue through site

21 – 0072 | Brightside (Phase 3)

Phase 3 of BlueSky’s Brightside development went to Council on July 12, receiving approval to draft Development Permit. This phase of the project will include a 51-Storey mixed condo / rental tower and 2-storey standalone amenity building on the north-east corner of the site along 105 Ave.

The overall Brightside development originally received Rezoning and General Development Permit approval back in March 2020, later revised in February 2021 to include a 4th tower. Phase 1 will consist of a 38-storey rental tower on the south-west corner of the site at 104 Ave & City Parkway.

View looking south-west from King George Blvd towards Tower 3 View of Tower 3 base – looking south along new green lane from 105 Ave View of 2-storey amenity building along 105 Ave Overall Brightside Master Plan – Phase 3 at top right

Construction

The past month saw 2 new major construction starts and 1 completion. As of August 2021, there are 16 major projects under construction in City Centre, representing 15 high-rise and 7 low-rise buildings.

New Construction

Holland Parkside Phase 1 (11-Storey Office + 19-Storey Rental over retail) – Begun excavation Plaza One & Two (41 & 44-storey residential over office & retail) – The final phase of King George Hub has begun excavation

Continued Construction

Rosewood (5-Storey Supportive Housing) – now topped out on 137 St The Holland (25-Storey Residential) – Now at grade with construction beginning on level 1 One Central (44-Storey Residential & Retail) – Podium now topped off at 14 levels, with main tower to rise above University District (28 & 37-Storey Residential & Retail) – Towers beginning to rise above townhouse and retail podiums Parc Centrale (20-Storey Residential + Legion) – Main tower rising above podium on City Parkway Park Boulevard (41-Storey Residential) – Main entry on Park Plaza nearing completion Georgetown One (30-Storey Residential + Retail) – View from Central City Plaza Park George (35 & 39-Storey Residential) – Excavation now bottomed out Ledgeview (6-Storey Residential) – Now topped out at King George Blvd & 132 St with glazing & exterior work underway

Completions

Hub One & Two at King George Hub (29 & 40-Storey Residential) – View from Fraser Hwy & George Junction Hub One & Two at King George Hub (29 & 40-Storey Residential) – View of residential entries and new multi-use path along Fraser Hwy Hub One & Two at King George Hub (29 & 40-Storey Residential) – Retail plaza to open in Fall 2021

Rize Alliance has begun pre-sales on the second phase of their 2-tower project at 133 St & 104 Ave in the growing West Village neighbourhood. The first phase of the project – the 28-storey ‘Wave’ condo tower – was completed back in 2014, with the second phase originally set to be called ‘Wynd’. Four years later, that name has now changed with the launch of a new marketing campaign and registration site set up for phase 2 under the name ‘Linea’.

With phase 2 of the project having already been approved as part of the original application for the site, Linea is likely to proceed with construction soon after sales. Despite the name change, the tower will retain its originally approved design – a twin of the Wave tower – featuring distinctive curved balconies and vibrant orange accents on the building’s exterior. Not only will Linea bring a twin tower to the development, but it will also complete the site which has been sitting vacant for years, bringing a new row of urban street-fronting townhouses along both 133 St and 104 Avenue, and a substantial outdoor amenity area / park. The website for the project www.liveatlinea.com is now open for registration offering 1, 2 & 3 bedroom condos and townhouses.

The completed Wave tower – Phase 1 of project

Site Plan for Wave (Tower ‘A’) and Linea (Tower ‘B’)

Linea site within City Centre Plan

With sales now just around the corner, Linea will likely begin construction in 2019, making it the 5th residential tower expected to start next year in the red hot Surrey City Centre condo market, following 3 condo towers expected to start this year, and 2 office towers. It was noted in the Spring 2018 issue of West Coast Condo that benchmark prices for condos in Surrey City Centre led all of Metro Vancouver in growth over the past year – up 45.6% between December 2016 and December 2017. Despite the price growth, Surrey City Centre still remains one of the most affordable areas to buy a condo in Metro Vancouver, and the best place to invest in real estate in BC for future growth.

For more:
http://liveatlinea.com
https://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/PLR_7911-0075-00.pdf

Photo update of Bosa Properties’ Gateway Place taken on April 17, 2017. Project is nearing completion with sidewalk fencing now removed, and work on the interior retail and office space underway. Expected completion and move-in of retail tenants likely by Summer 2017.

Looking east on 108 Avenue next to Station Tower

Looking north into the public plaza between Station Tower and Gateway Place

Metal grating installed for green-wall planting on the west side of Gateway Place 

Future green-wall and public plaza between Station Tower and Gateway Place

View from 108 Avenue looking north-east

View from 108 Avenue looking north-west

View looking west on 108 Avenue towards Gateway Station

New sidewalk and separated bike path looking north on City Parkway

New sidewalk and separated bike path looking south on City Parkway. 

Future location of Nester’s Market and cafe along City Parkway

View from Gateway Station

After nearly 2 years of construction, the Surrey Central Station north station house expansion officially opened to the public this weekend. Designed by OMB Architects, the new 2-storey station house is now the largest entrance at the station, fronting directly onto the corner of Central Avenue and City Parkway across from Civic Plaza.

The new station house features a contemporary, open, and airy design consisting of glass, concrete, and wood materials, as well as a prominent new First Nations art installation suspended from the ceiling – ‘The Sea Captain’ by Marianne Nicolson. A new retail unit has also been added to the station next to the entrance fronting Central Avenue, but has yet to be occupied by a tenant.

New entrance fronting Central Ave Corner of Central Ave & City Parkway Looking west down Central Avenue New entrance on City Parkway New entrance with bike racks and benches on City Parkway New ticket and fare gate concourse Fare gate concourse and art installation

Escalator to second floor concourse

2nd floor concourse Wayfinding signage on second floor concourse

Connection to south station entrance New platform level stairs, escalator and elevator

This latest upgrade to Surrey Central Station is just the beginning of an even larger expansion and re-configuration to come in the future. The lands immediately west of the station, where the current North Surrey Recreation Centre and Bus Loop sit – known as the ‘Centre Block’ are expected to be redeveloped in the coming decade. With that will come the removal of the suburban-style bus loop and re-positioning of bus bays onto streets surrounding the station. A major overhaul of the station is expected at that time to modernize and better integrate it into its evolving urban context.

Bosa Properties’ University District is progressing with work continuing on the interior as well as balconies, exterior finishing touches, and sidewalk. While not scheduled for completion until later this year, the building has already transformed the area, creating a very urban, downtown streetscape along 104 Avenue, which will only improve with opening of the building’s retail. According to Form Leasing’s website, there are 5 units available which have not yet been leased.

http://form.ca/universitydistrict.pdf

The City of Surrey has released a new video on their YouTube Channel promoting the upcoming Guildford-Newton LRT line. The line, which is expected to begin construction as early as next year, and be complete by 2023, is being used as a catalyst to transform Surrey, rather than simply move people from A-B.

Drawing from precedent in many European cities, street-level LRT has the ability to transform streetscapes and the public realm into more pedestrian-oriented, attractive places that attract businesses, gathering, and higher density housing. Compared to SkyTrain which cuts through communities disconnected from street-level, on obtrusive concrete guideways, LRT helps build communities along its route, becoming a part of those communities.

Vision for 104 Avenue – To be repurposed from an auto-oriented corridor to a multi-modal, pedestrian and transit oriented corridor. LRT along a pedestrianized City Parkway at Central Avenue (103 Ave) In Surrey City Centre, Newton Town Centre, and Guildford Town Centre, the LRT line will be integrated into pedestrian-only plazas, much like you would find in Europe. Along the line, 104th Avenue and King George Hwy will be transformed into multi-modal streets, instead of the 20th-century era car-oriented streets they are today. 104th Avenue and King George Boulevard will become attractive, focal streets, complete with LRT, vehicle lanes, grade-separated bike lanes, and improved sidewalks. Land-use along them will gradually develop into a continuous stretch of mixed-use mid-rise buildings set close to the street, with ground floor retail, and offices, residences above.

LRT will also add a new tier of transit to Metro Vancouver’s transit system that is currently missing, and would be appropriate for many other parts of the region as a compliment to the existing SkyTrain system which serves as more of a regional commuter rail service. LRT is best suited for servicing more localized areas, where bus service is inadequate, while connecting to the regional rail network.

Vision for a European-Style Plaza with LRT at Newton Town Centre LRT along a pedestrianized City Parkway at Surrey Central Station Proposed LRT Routing at 102 Avenue & King George Blvd Proposed LRT routing along King George Blvd between 100 Ave & 102 Ave Proposed LRT routing at 96th Ave & King George Blvd For more on the Guildford-Newton LRT line:
http://www.surrey.ca/city-services/15698.aspx

Bosa Properties has submitted an application for their next phase of University District, to be located on the former Brick / Sears outlet site just north of the Safeway near 104 Avenue and City Parkway. This next phase is to follow Phase 2, known as ‘Blue Sky‘ which is currently in pre-sales and expected to begin construction in 2019.

Details of the new application indicate that the project is proposing 1,134 residential units and 104,300 SF of commercial space. This is likely to translate into up to 4 residential towers above podiums and significant commercial / retail space.

The site, which includes 2 properties – 13583 104 Ave & 13550 105 Ave spans an entire block, with frontages on 104 Ave, 105 Ave and City Parkway. The site also spans 2 designations under the City Centre Plan – with the south portion of the site designated for Mixed-Use/High-Rise (5.5 FAR), and the north portion designated for Mixed-Use/High-Rise (3.5 FAR). The City Centre Plan allows for density bonuses of 20%, meaning the project FAR will likely be proposed higher than what is designated.

View of Subject Site looking north-west from 104 Ave

The subject site is a key location in City Centre, in the civic core, just to the north of City Hall and Civic Plaza. Well-fitted to a project at this high profile location, the applicant on the file is Perkins + Will, a renowned international architecture and urban design firm with an office in Vancouver.

In development of the site, the project will also dedicate and construct a new urban ‘green lane’ running east-west across the site, as well as re-align the intersection of 104 Avenue and City Parkway. This will result in a continuous City Parkway between Surrey Central and Gateway – and help bridge the gap between these 2 areas of City Centre.

For more on the application:

https://apps.surrey.ca/Online-Development-Inquiry/?year=18&seq=0350