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

A transformative ‘Gateway’ project at the north end of City Centre along King George Blvd at Bolivar Rd received 1st & 2nd Readings at Council on Monday, and will now proceed to Public Hearing on January 13. The project, which has been in the planning stages for nearly 5 years, initially appeared before Council back in April 2018, but was referred back to Staff to work with the applicant on refining the proposal, and to determine a ‘significant amenity contribution’ in exchange for increased density on the site. Since then, the project, designed by Vancouver’s MCM Architects has undergone significant design refinements to create an ‘iconic’ gateway development consisting of 1,040 units within:

• 37-Storey Residential Tower above a 7-Storey podium
• 31-Storey Residential Tower above a 6-Storey podium
• 26-Storey Residential Tower above a 6-Storey podium
• Two 6-Storey Low-Rise Residential Buildings
• A 5,673 sq.ft. Childcare Facility
• A small Cafe

Under the current application however, only the 26-Storey Residential Tower, Childcare Facility, Cafe, and a large ‘Orchard Plaza’ will be built as a first phase at the corner of King George Blvd and Bolivar Rd. The remainder of the development will be subject to future detailed Development Permit applications. The first phase tower will consist of 239 units, with the Childcare Facility and Cafe at its base. The large interior ‘Orchard Plaza’ design by Vancouver’s PWL Partnership Landscape Architects is intended to “celebrate connections to local agriculture” and will incorporate fruit trees within moveable planters, in addition to seating, an open lawn space, playground space, and an interactive stormwater capturing feature.

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

Overall, the proposal is proposing a blended density of 4.2 FAR on the site, which exceeds the currently permitted 2.5 FAR in that area of the City Centre Plan, intended for 4-6-Storey development. As a condition of allowing the increased density, the developer is offering a significant community amenity contribution above and beyond what is required, as well as providing a significant number of ‘family-sized units’ of 2-bedrooms or larger.

In addition to the development itself, significant upgrades will be made to surrounding streets including an expansive new landscaped sidewalk and separated bike path along King George Blvd, and new dedication and construction of Barker Street to the north.

For more on the application:

https://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/PLR_7917-0397-00.pdf

The much anticipated ‘Central City II’ office tower will appear before Surrey Council on Monday for 1st & 2nd readings, as part of the first Council meeting since the summer break. Designed by ZGF Architects, the 25-storey (116.5m / 382 ft.) building will be the successor to the iconic Bing Thom designed ‘Central City I’, built in 2003, and bring much needed new office space to Surrey City Centre. Taking design cues from the original tower, while at the same time having its own distinctive architectural expression, the new building will be located just to the south-east of Central City I at the corner of King George Blvd and Old Yale Rd.

In all, the building is proposed to include:

• 567,114 sq.ft. of AAA Office Space and Fitness Club on levels 2-25
• 16,168 sq.ft. of ground-oriented retail, restaurant, and cafe space
• Landscaped roof terraces on levels 3, 5, 10, 21, and 24
• A new dedication of City Parkway
• A new private east-west lane along the north side of the building connecting City Parkway to King George Blvd
• Plazas and Separated Bike Lanes surrounding the building along King George Blvd, Old Yale Rd, and City Parkway

View looking South along SkyTrain Guideway View Looking South-West along King George Blvd View looking North-West at corner of King George Blvd & Old Yale Rd South and East Elevations West and North Elevations

In terms of design, the building consists of a 25-storey tower with distinctive rust-toned metal panels, above a stepped podium, transitioning to different floor plates at levels 3, 5, 10, 21, and 24. The tower maintains a rounded rectangular form above the podium levels, before transitioning to an elliptical shape – similar to ‘Central City I’ at level 21. Above level 25, the vertical fins extend the curtain wall and frame an additional 2 storeys to conceal the rooftop mechanical equipment, and give the building a 27-storey appearance. The fins also provide space for signage, shown in renderings provided by ZGF, with the Central City logo, similar to the original tower. The bulk of the building’s massing is oriented towards King George Blvd and anchored to Old Yale Rd, creating a strong urban street wall and presence. The building tapers down towards the west, with its 4-storey podium extending to City Parkway, and the SkyTrain guideway.

The main entrance to the building will front onto a new public plaza along Old Yale Rd. This plaza will extend around the building on 3 sides, with retail, restaurant, and cafe space spilling out to activate frontages along City Parkway and King George Blvd. The south-west corner of the site at Old Yale Rd and City Parkway has been identified as a location for a future significant public art piece, subject to separate public art plan process.

Ground floor Site Plan Landscaped outdoor terrace on Level 3 Landscaped outdoor terrace on Level 5 Landscaped outdoor terrace on Level 10 Landscaped outdoor terrace on Level 21

Replacing the former Best Buy store at the corner of the existing mall parking lot, Central City II represents just phase 1 of a master redevelopment plan for the remainder of the Central City Shopping Centre site. More details of that plan will come through future development applications for subsequent phases. Earlier this year, the mall’s owner Blackwood Partners announced plans for a 1.5 storey addition to the existing parkade along University Drive which is expected to get underway in the coming months. Upon completion, this will allow for the closure of rooftop parking above parts of the existing mall along Old Yale Rd and eventual redevelopment of the site across from Holland Park.

A date has finally been set for the official closure of the North Surrey Recreation Centre to make way for the site’s long anticipated redevelopment. In a notice posted on the recreation centre website, the facility is planned to close in 2 phases beginning with a decommissioning of the ice rinks in early September, and finally a closure of the remaining portions of the building on December 22. Ice rink programming will move to the new North Surrey Sport & Ice Complex, set to open on September 3 near Scott Road Station. Following that in January, Aquatics programs will move to Guildford Recreation Centre, fitness and multi-purpose activities to North Surrey Sport & Ice Complex, and preschool programs to Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre.

New North Surrey Sport & Ice Complex

While no timeline has been given for the site’s redevelopment following decommissioning, behind-the-scenes planning work has been underway for years, dating back to 2012. Since then, the City has been working with Simon Fraser University, TransLink, and various architects, planners, and consultants, on a master plan for what is known as the ‘Centre Block’ bounded by Central Avenue to the north, 102 Avenue to the south, University Drive to the west, and City Parkway to the east. Well-positioned adjacent to Surrey Central SkyTrain Station, the site forms a key link between Surrey City Hall / Civic Plaza to the north, and the Central City Complex and beyond to the south.

Back in 2013, Via Architecture prepared a ‘vision’ for what redevelopment could look like in the future. The concept envisioned a numerous mixed-use buildings for the site integrated with a transit-oriented plaza linking City Hall to Central City. The buildings would contain office, university, and retail space. The plan also envisioned:

• A new bus layover facility to be located on 133A St behind the new SFU Engineering building.
• A removal and re-configuring of the Surrey Central Bus Exchange – replacing the loop with a new street-oriented exchange along a realigned 102A Avenue and Central Avenue. The 2 streets would be integrated with a new Transit Plaza, designed to accommodate high pedestrian and bus passenger volumes.

Centre Block location between Civic Plaza and Central City Early vision for the Centre Block prepared by Via Architecture in 2013

Since the early Via Architecture vision, a more recent planning process has been underway following a Surrey City Development Corp (SCDC) RFP was filled seeking a new firm to undertake detailed master planning work for the Centre Block site. While no plans have been publicly released yet, what is expected is a major overhaul of Surrey Central Station linked with a new transit-oriented plaza connecting Civic Plaza to Central City, and integrated with over 2 million square feet of new office, university, and retail space. With such a large scale, the plan is expected to be completed in phases, with various puzzle pieces and phasing needing to take place before other phases can begin. The first of those pieces is the decommissioning and demolition of the North Surrey Recreation Centre. The second will be the construction of the new bus layover facility on 133 Street, allowing for removal of the current Bus Loop, and re-alignment of 102A Avenue through it.

With the North Surrey Rec Centre decommissioning now in sight, the pieces are finally coming together to make the Centre Block redevelopment a reality. While the project is likely to take at least a decade to build-out, we could see the start of application activity related to it in the coming year.

For more on the North Surrey Recreation Centre closing:

https://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/CR_2019-R133.pdf

Two separate Development Applications have been submitted for a pair of projects between University Dr & City Parkway and 105 Ave & 105A Ave, just to the south of the BC Lions Training facility.

According to Surrey’s COSMOS, the application on the westerly block is to allow for 873 residential units (approximately 2 towers above podiums), while the application on the easterly block is to also allow for 2 towers above podiums with no unit count given. The applications are also proposing OCP and City Centre Plan amendments to re-designate the sites from 3.5 FAR to 5.5 FAR to allow for increased density. Interestingly, the applicant on the easterly site is listed as Concord Pacific – indicating a new venture for them in Surrey City Centre, to follow their existing ‘Park’ development near King George. The applicant on the westerly site is listed as IBI Group, although the applications could be related.

The subject sites have been vacant grassed lots for decades, and are bisected by the SkyTrain guideway between Surrey Central Station and Gateway Station. While the area may feel vacant now, just to the south across 105 Avenue, Bosa’s 28 & 37-storey University District towers are expected to begin construction within the next year. Also just to the north at City Parkway and 106 Avenue, Lark Group’s 20-story Legion Veteran’s Village project is now under construction.

Site looking north-east from University Dr & 105 Ave Site looking south-east from University Dr & 105A Ave Site looking south from 105A Ave Site looking south-west from 105A Ave & City Parkway Site looking north from 105 Ave Site’s within City Centre Plan Birds-eye view of Sites

After nearly 2 years of construction, the new West Village Park and District Energy Centre officially opened last week in the rapidly growing West Village neighbourhood of City Centre. Located at the corner of Central Avenue & 133 Street, the new 0.7 Acre park was designed by Vancouver’s Space2Place Landscape Architects in conjunction with a community consultation process, and is one of 10 new parks planned for City Centre. The park includes a plaza, stage, green space, play area, benches, picnic tables, and a distinctive hexagon pattern of concrete, cork, and landscape beds. In addition to the park, a new segment of Central Avenue was opened, with a new sidewalk and dedicated bike lane (now standard on all newly constructed Collector and Arterial Roads in Surrey).

The main feature of the park is the new West Village Energy Centre, designed by Vancouver’s Francl Architecture, and complete with an art installation titled ‘Blankets’ on the building’s stacks. Operated by Surrey City Energy, the centre is the first of  3 District Energy Centres planned for City Centre, with the remaining two to be located near King George Station and Gateway Station in the future. These District Energy centres are intended to provide reliable, cost-competitive, and sustainable heat and hot water services to the City Centre’s growing high-density population. They work by distributing thermal energy, typically in the form of hot water through a network of closed-loop underground pipes to individual customer buildings. As new developments come on-line, they can connect to the District Energy System for their heating and hot water services.

Plaza looking west from 133 St Looking East towards West Village Park greenspace West Village Energy south facade featuring art installation ‘Blankets’ on building stacks Looking East on Central Avenue Looking East into interior of West Village Energy Centre Newly constructed Central Avenue half-road Looking west into interior of West Village Energy Centre West Village Energy Centre entrance Greenspace and picnic area Greenspace, plaza, and seating area Greenspace and seating area

Further to news earlier this month on the moving forward of the Veterans Village Project, on the site of the Whalley Legion, more details were released late last week showing a major re-design of the project.

The previous concept prepared by Michael Green Architecture for a twin-tower development has since been replaced by a single, ‘stepped’ tower concept over what appears to be a 2-storey podium. In addition, a large portion of the site is shown to be dedicated as an open plaza/park space, forming what would be Surrey’s equivalent to Victory Square in Downtown Vancouver. The proposed plaza would provide a new space for Remembrance Day ceremonies in Surrey and serve as a permanent memorial space.

Despite the reduced scope of the project from a twin tower concept to a single tower, the project continues to take design inspiration from the twin tower Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France. As depicted in the concept, the tower features 2 red decorative beams running up the height of the tower, reminiscent of the memorial. Still no confirmation on height, however a Surrey Now article mentions a height of between 16-28 storeys.

While no application has yet been submitted on the project, the developer Lark Group, hopes to begin site preparation and construction by as early as Spring 2017. The project is said to still be seeking funding sources, some of which could come through Federal Infrastructure funding, currently being lobbied for.

http://www.thenownewspaper.com/news/400750081.html

http://journalofcommerce.com/Projects/News/2016/11/BC-Veterans-Village-project-a-step-closer-to-reality-1019666W/

A new mixed-use development proposed for a vacant piece of land next to Holland Park is set to appear before Council on Monday, February 24 for 1st & 2nd Readings. Known as Holland Parkside, and being developed by Century Group (the same developer as 3 Civic Plaza), the project is proposing to bring a mix of market and rental housing, office, retail, restaurant, public food market, and courtyard green space to the growing neighbourhood surrounding King George Station. Overall, the project is to include:

• 42 + 36 Storey Market Residential Towers above a townhouse base (818 Units)
• 19-Storey Rental Residential Tower (204 Units)
• 10-Storey Mid-Rise Office Tower (212,000 sq.ft. including retail)
• Ground-level Retail in a double-height podium at the base of the office and rental towers along King George Blvd, including a 2-storey restaurant and large market hall for food vendors
• A publicly accessible Central Courtyard on level 3 with an urban agriculture and food-related theme

Perspective along King George Blvd – Rental Residential Tower (Left), Office Mid-Rise (Right), and 2-Storey Retail / Market Hall Podium Perspective along west side of site adjacent to existing Single Family – Market Residential Towers and Townhouse Base Perspective along 99 Ave – Office Mid-Rise (Left) and Market Residential Tower (Right) Perspective along 98A Ave – Market Residential Tower (Left), Rental Residential Tower (Right), Level 3 Courtyard (Centre) A publicly accessible courtyard on level 3 in the centre of the site, accessible via a grand staircase through the site from King George Blvd

Designed by ZGF Architects, the development is to be built in phases over a number of years, subject to market conditions. The current application is for a Rezoning, City Centre Plan Amendment, and General Development Permit (for Form & Character) only. Detailed Development Permits for each phase will be brought forth at later dates under separate applications.

At the south end of the site, a small portion of land will be dedicated to allow for 98A Avenue to bend northward and intersect with ‘George Junction’ a new crescent road to connect through the King George Hub development across the street. At the north end of the site, a new 99 Ave will be constructed, which will then bend south around the development to connect to 98B Ave to the west. The existing single family housing to the west is expected to be redeveloped in the future to 4-6 Storey multi-family, as per the City Centre Plan.

Contextual view facing North-West Contextual View facing South-East Contextual View facing North-East

At this time, detailed design of project is still underway, and will continue to be refined through subsequent development permit applications for each phase. The report to Council notes that the first phase is expected to be constructed and ready for occupancy by summer 2024, although does not mention which portion will be developed first. Given that all 4 buildings share a common parkade, podium, and level 3 Central Courtyard, it’s unclear how the project would be built in phases.

For more on the project:

https://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/PLR_7918-0217-00.pdf

A new application (19-0095) has been submitted for a mixed-use project near Gateway Station at 10925 University Drive. According to application details, the applicant is seeking to Rezone and Subdivide the site into 2 new parcels to allow for approximately 500 residential units and 1580m2 (17,000 sq.ft.) of office space within 1 mid-rise and 1 high-rise building.

The subject site is currently made up of 2 existing lots adjacent to the 22-storey ‘Observatory’ condo tower built in 1995. The site was originally intended for a twin of that tower back in the 90’s – similar to the ‘Cornerstone 1 & 2’ towers just to the south – but the project never completed. The site has since sat vacant for over 2 decades now. This new proposal will also include in the site area an existing single family lot fronting 133A Street.

Subject site – vacant land next to existing condo towers built in 1990’s Looking south towards subject site Looking north-west towards subject site Subject site within City Centre Plan

As per the City Centre Plan, the site is currently designated ‘High-Rise 5.5 FAR (with 20% allowable increase to 6.6 FAR)’. It is located directly across University Drive from the currently in-process application (18-0388) which is proposing a pair of 28 & 30 Storey residential towers.

For more on the application:

https://apps.surrey.ca/Online-Development-Inquiry/?year=19&seq=0095

Surrey’s annual PARKit pop-up park has returned for another summer in City Centre. Since 2013, the park has been a fixture through the summer months as an installation underneath the SkyTrain guideway next to Surrey Central Station. Students from UBC’s School of Landscape Architecture have competed on winning designs for the park each year.

This year, the park has moved to a new location in the Central City Plaza to celebrate Canada150 – Canada’s 150th Birthday. The installation’s theme is ‘A Canadian Summer’ and incorporates elements of a classic Canadian summer day spent relaxing at the lake with a picnic. The park features an outdoor public piano within a tent-shaped structure, numerous picnic tables, iconic Muskoka chairs, tree planters, a make-believe lake, and a dock. This year’s park was designed by Amy Tsang.

The park will be in place through the summer until September 11.

Vancouver developer Rize is set to bring their latest and most ambitious project to date before Surrey Council on Monday for 1st & 2nd Readings, and approval to proceed to Public Hearing. Passages as it’s called, is a proposed master-planned mixed-use development at 10138 Whalley Blvd consisting of market condos, market rental apartments, retail, and daycare space, all situated within a European-style ‘piazza’ public plaza. In total the project is proposing:

• 3 High-Rise towers and 1 Low-Rise (6, 23, 32 & 39 Storeys) containing 954 Market Condo Residential Units
• 2 Mid-Rise towers (13 Storeys each) containing 172 Market Rental Residential Units
• 18,116 sq.ft. of Ground Level Retail Space
• 4,252 sq.ft. of Daycare Space
• A 69,602 sq.ft. Publicly Accessible ‘Piazza’-Style Public Plaza

Rendering of central public ‘Piazza’ space within Passages development

Designed by London, UK based Alison Brooks Architects, Passages brings a fresh departure from the standard point tower above podium form, commonly found throughout Metro Vancouver. Instead, the project consists of 6 irregularly-shaped buildings of varying heights, clustered around a ‘Piazza’-style public plaza.

The design takes inspiration from coastal BC forests, incorporating references to ‘textured tree bark’ on building facades, and the use of earth tones and materials. Interspersed single and double-storey units are present throughout the towers, adding variation in form and glazing pattern. The 6-storey building is a modern interpretation of the traditional ‘British mansion block’ merged with ground floor townhouses.

The site’s perimeter and courtyard are structured as open, barrier-free spaces that the public and residents can share and enjoy. A series of four distinct piazzas, City Piazza, Park Piazza, Central Piazza and Neighbourhood Piazza, are linked by narrow urban groves between buildings and enriched streetscape edges.

The Landscape Architect on the project is Vancouver’s PWL Partnership tasked with designing the publicly accessibly open spaces comprised of the four landscaped piazzas. These spaces are animated with community agricultural gardens, an urban square with seating, a children’s play area, a great lawn for event and performance space, a yoga and exercise zone, a community harvest table, and an outdoor barbeque and games table space to encourage the public and residents to interact and socialize.

Passages will replace two existing and aging, wood-frame, 4-storey apartment buildings known as Fraserview Court, built in the 1970’s. Rize is proposing to offset the loss of the 154 existing rental residential units on site by providing 172 new rental residential units in two new 13-Storey concrete mid-rises as part of re-development. These rental units will be secured for a period of 20-years, through a Housing Agreement with the City. Rize is also assisting existing residents facing displacement through a City policy directed Tenant Relocation and Assistance Plan.

The project is proposed to be built in 3 phases, which includes:

Phase 1 (Targeted Completion: May 2023)

• 13-Storey Mid-Rise with Market Rental Residential (88 Units), Ground Floor Cafe, and Daycare
• 23-Storey High-Rise with Market Condo Residential (212 Units)

Phase 2 (Targeted Completion: June 2024)

• 6-Storey Low-Rise with Market Condo Residential (66 Units)
• 32-Storey High-Rise with Market Condo Residential (304 Units), and Ground Level Retail

Phase 3 (Targeted Completion: August 2024)

• 13-Storey Mid-Rise with Market Rental Residential (84 Units), and Ground Level Retail
• 39-Storey High-Rise with Market Condo Residential (372 Units)

In terms of approvals, the development is seeking:

• City Centre Plan amendment to increase density on the site from 3.5 FAR to 5.5 FAR
• Official Community Plan amendment to increase density on the site from 3.5 FAR to 5.5 FAR
• Rezoning from Multiple Residential 45 Zone to Comprehensive Development Zone (Based on RM-135 & C-8)
• Subdivision from 1 to 3 lots
• Development Permit to allow for 3 High-Rise Buildings, 2 Mid-Rise Buildings, and 1 Low-Rise Building.

For more information on Passages:

https://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/PLR_7918-0289-00.pdf

An open house was held on Nov 30 to discuss the future of Forsyth Park, a new 3 hectare park in the north-east area of the City Centre near 106th & 140th St. The City of Surrey has been acquiring properties for the park since 1989 and is now ready to embark on its first phase of development, beginning with public consultation and design this winter, and moving into construction by summer in time for a fall 2017 opening. With the area slowly starting to densify with recent multi-family projects such as Porte Communities’ HQ directly south of the park, the timing is now right to develop such an amenity space in the area.

As part of the open house that was held, a number of display boards were presented that provided a preliminary concept of what the park may look like, with this likely to be modified based on comments received from the open house. The park is envisioned to be a ‘Contemporary Urban Place’ for neighbourhood residents to enjoy the outdoors, play, and bring their dogs. One of the boards also provided a glimpse of how this park will tie into a network of greenways, spaces, and parks throughout the city centre as it develops over the next few decades. This illustrative plan also gives a good impression of how the City Centre itself will transform over-time, with a finer grained street grid, and a more compact urban form. See below for images.

http://www.surrey.ca/culture-recreation/2076.aspx

Illustrative Plan close-up of the Surrey Central area:

Illustrative Plan close-up of the King George area:

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.

Excavation got underway this week for Rize Alliance’s 28-storey Linea at 104 Avenue and 133 Street. Linea is phase 2 to its predecessor and twin ‘Wave’ which was completed in 2015. Upon completion, both towers will stand at 28-storeys and feature the same signature curved balconies and orange accents.

In addition to the new tower, Linea will also improve the streetscapes along 133 Street and 104 Avenue with new street-oriented townhouses, add a common outdoor amenity area between the 2 towers, and create a new north-south lane to the east of the site. Completion is expected by early 2022.

Linea site from Wave tower Linea site from 133 Street Rendering of Linea and Wave Ground level Site Plan of Wave and Linea site Rooftop Site Plan of Wave and Linea site

Well known Vancouver developer Anthem Properties has recently posted information on their website indicating that they are working on plans for a substaintial redevelopment of a large site in Surrey City Centre at 13645 102 Avenue. According to the project page on their website, they have revealed that they are working on a new 1,500,000 Sq.Ft. Master planned community which will consist of 7 residential towers above newly created retail and office spaces. While no plans have yet been released, the website indicates that the project is ‘coming soon’ with no timeline given.

At present, the subject site contains a Save-on-Foods, Canadian Tire, and A&W Restaurant, and is mostly covered by a large under-utilized parking lot. Under the City Centre Plan, the site is designated to be broken up by 2 new roads running east-west, as well as a new ‘urban green lane’ running north-south. One of the new roads will be an extension of 102A Avenue, which is set to replace the Surrey Central Bus Loop and be created through other projects in the area such as the SFU expansion and recently announced 50-Storey Education Centre. The other road will be an extension of 103 Avenue which is also being created through developments in the area. The Anthem project will extend both of these streets through to Whalley Blvd in the east, improving both vehicle and pedestrian connectivity in the area.

Construction fencing is now up at the SFU Sustainable Energy & Environmental Engineering Building site at 102 Ave & University Dr. While the project has not yet received 4th reading / final approval from Surrey City Council, this is a good indication that they expect to soon, and are aiming to get a head start on site preparation so that clearing and excavation can begin this fall.

It also now appears that the remaining house to the adjacent north of the site on 102A Ave may be set to be demolished soon as well, with numerous construction trailers now on the property. The vacant lots further to the north of it have also seen some site cleaning this week, perhaps indicating that trees on those properties could soon be removed. These properties have been indicated as a future site for an SFU residence tower, as well as new Urban Green Lane which will run behind the new SFU Building.

More on the SFU Surrey Expansion:

SFU Surrey Expansion

Update: SFU Surrey Expansion

Making big news this week was the much-anticipated announcement of redevelopment plans for the Stardust Roller Rink site in the heart of Surrey Central at 10240 City Parkway. Major Surrey developer WestStone Group which owns the site announced that they are partnering with CIBT Education Group to develop a 50-Storey “Education Mega Centre” on the site. This major redevelopment is intended to provide space for educational institutions as well as short-term and long-term affordable accommodations for international students. From the press-release:

• It is being proposed that the podium of the Mega Center (levels 1 to 2) will provide for many supporting amenities such as a food court, student lounge, computer centre, electronic library, conference rooms as well as office space for education consultants and other industry related services.
• Levels 3 to 6 will be leased to 20 educational institutions from around the world as their satellite campuses in Surrey.
• Levels 8 to 26 will be comprised of residential suites designed for long term stay international students.
• Levels 7 and 27 will be comprised of amenity space such as fitness centre and lounges for long term residents and student hotel guests.
• Upper floors from level 28 to 49 will be GEC’s flagship student hotel for short term stays.
• Level 50 will be the front desk and check in area for the student hotel.
• The Mega Center will consist of approximately 550,000 square feet and a development budget of $230 million.

While no application has yet been submitted, it is expected that one could be submitted by later this fall. No mention of when the project is anticipated to be completed by, but it’s likely that it could begin construction by 2018 and finish by 2020/21.

In addition to the major transformative impact this project will have on a key site in Surrey City Centre, the project will also initiate a new dedication of 102A Avenue which will eventually connect through to King George Blvd, and align west replacing the Surrey Central Bus Loop, connecting with the existing 102A Avenue at University Drive. The tower’s height is expected to be similar to the under construction 48-storey 3 Civic Plaza a block away, and will add to the growing concentration of towers as well as educational institutions in the area.