Work is set to begin this month on a major, long overdue upgrade to 100 Avenue. On February 6, Surrey City Council awarded a contract in the amount of $8.8 million to Eurovia British Columbia Inc. for widening and improvements to a stretch of 100 Avenue between 140th Street and 148th Street connecting Surrey City Centre to Guildford. As part of the project, 100 Avenue will be upgraded from a single lane in each direction to a proper 4-lane, median-separated, arterial road standard with improved street lighting, sidewalks, and grade-separated bike lanes. In addition, a new pedestrian path will also be added through Green Timbers Park on the south side of 100 Avenue, along with new signalized intersections at 144th Street, and at the entrance to an expanded Green Timbers parking lot. 100A Avenue between 141 Street and 143 Street will also be upgraded as part of the project, improving access to Lena Shaw Elementary School.

Prior to the awarding of the project, a public consultation meeting was held to present plans and receive public feedback. Through the process, a custom road cross-section was created for 100 Avenue which focused on minimizing the impacts on trees, specifically those adjacent to Green Timbers Park. Sustainable design features such as rain gardens, low-UV street lighting, low acoustic pavement design, and wildlife crossings were also incorporated as a result of feedback. When completed in Spring 2018, the 100 Avenue upgrade will offer a better alternative to 104th Avenue, relieve traffic congestion, and improve the connection between Surrey City Centre and Guildford.

For more:

https://surrey.ca/city-services/21331.aspx

The March Issue of the City Centre Update is now available at SurreyCityCentre.ca. This month’s newsletter includes a round-up of new Development Applications, Council Approvals, and Construction activity during the past month of February.

New Development Applications

There were no new major development applications submitted in City Centre during February 2021.

As of March 2021, there are 30 major development applications under initial review (pre-council), consisting of approximately 34 towers, and 21 low-rises.

Major development applications under initial review as of March 2021

Council Approvals

Two major projects received 3rd Reading (Preliminary Approval) from Surrey City Council in February 2021. These included GEC Education Mega Centre, a 49-Storey Mixed- use tower, and Bosa’s Brightside, a 4-tower mixed-use development ranging in heights from 38-51 Storeys.

As of March 2021, there are 34 approved major projects in City Centre, consisting of 43 towers, and 22 low-rises.

Approved major development applications as of March 2021

18 – 0350 | Brightside

Bosa’s Brightside re-appeared before Surrey City Council in February 2021 after having been previously approved back in March 2020. The application has been amended to include an additional tower (previously under a separate application), as well as some minor revisions to the original proposal. The application now consists of 4 towers (38, 46, 50 & 51-Storeys) surrounding 2 low-rise retail & amenity buildings, to be built over a number of phases. Phase 1 is to include a 38-Storey rental residential tower on the corner of City Parkway & 104 Avenue.

Address:	104 Ave & City Parkway
Proposal:	38, 46, 50 & 51-Storey Mixed-Use (1,840 units, 239,421 SF office/retail)
Developer:	Bosa BlueSky
Architect:	Perkins + Will
Expected Completion:	2025 (Phase 1)

20 – 0071 | GEC Education Mega Centre

GEC Education Mega Centre also re-appeared before Surrey City Council in February 2021 after having been previously approved back in October 2017 under a separate application. The revised application now includes a 49-storey mixed-use tower consisting of 383 market

& rental residential units, 78,490 SF of office & institutional space, and 4,973 SF of retail. The project will also dedicate and construct a new portion of 102A Avenue through the site which is to eventually connect east to King George Blvd and beyond.

Address:	102A Ave & City Parkway
Proposal:	49-Storey Mixed-Use (383 units, 83,468 SF office/retail, institutional)
Developer:	CIBT / WestStone Group
Architect:	Chris Dikeakos
Expected Completion:	2025

Construction

No new projects began construction during January 2021, however one project finished construction (Central City Parkade), and one project began demolition, after having been halted in Fall 2020 (La Voda – 6-Storey Residential).

As of February 2021, there are 16 projects under construction in City Centre, representing 15 high-rises (>6 Storeys) and 6 low-rises (4-6-storeys).

Major projects under construction as of March 2021 Camellia Seniors Living – 132 St & 109 Ave Georgetown One by Anthem beginning to transform the corner of 102 Ave & Whalley Blvd Linea nearing completion at the corner of 133 St & 104 Ave Surrey’s next tallest – One Central beginning to rise in West Village Excavation underway at Park George on 100 Ave Rosewood Supportive Housing project rising above ground on 137 St King George Hub residential towers and retail nearing completion along Fraser Highway City Centre 3 nearing completion at 96 Ave & 137A St

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

Growth in 2019

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

6 significant projects began construction

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

7 significant projects continued construction

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

8 significant projects completed construction

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

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

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

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

Invest Surrey held an inaugural launchpad event today at Surrey City Hall hosted by Mayor Linda Hepner, featuring a number of speakers and panelists, discussing the future of Surrey and investment opportunities in the rapidly growing and changing city. The event was structured around a number of topics throughout the course of the day on the keynote theme ‘Transformation 2.0’ covering:

• Entertainment & Lifestyle
• Digital Information & Communication Technology
• Research & Development/Innovation
• Industrial, Transportation, & Logistics
• Housing Diversity

‘Central City 2’ Announced

At the event, a few major announcements were made, including an announcement by Blackwood Partners, owners of the Central City office, shopping centre, and university complex, that they will be moving forward with a successor tower named ‘Central City 2’.

While few details have been released so far, what is known is that the tower is proposed as a AAA mixed-use office tower at the corner of King George Blvd & Old Yale Rd on the site of what is currently a former Best Buy. The tower is situated directly across from Holland Park as well as King George Skytrain Station to the south. A rendering released at the event shows a oval shaped tower similar to the original Central City tower, fit within a more rectangular outer shell. There is also a large curved podium and generous plaza space meeting the intersection and extending underneath the podium

According to the City Centre Plan, the tower will occupy an entire new block, with a new lane proposed to the north of the building. This proposal sets the stage for the redevelopment of the remaining parking lot along King George Blvd into similar sized blocks, perhaps with a ‘Central City 3’ tower to follow at 102 & King George Blvd in the future.

‘Central City 2’ site within City Centre Plan

It’s unclear at this time who Blackwood Partners is working with as an Architect, or partnering developer, or how soon this proposal could get moving. As of now, no application has yet to appear on Surrey’s COSMOS mapping information system. The project also has yet to appear before Surrey’s Advisory Design Panel (ADP), meaning the design pictured in the rendering could still undergo revision.

Upon submission of an application, it could likely take up to 2 years before we see construction begin, and another 2-3 years to build. The project could perhaps move faster if fast tracked under Surrey’s Nexus program, but likely completion won’t be until the early 2020’s.

New Art Gallery Announced

In addition to the ‘Central City 2’ office tower announcement, it was also announced that the Surrey Art Gallery will be relocating to Surrey City Centre as a new ‘Interactive Art Museum’ slated to become the largest of its kind in Canada.

More details on both the ‘Central City 2’ tower and new Interactive Art Gallery as they come.

For more on Invest Surrey’s event today:

https://investsurrey.ca/launchpad

Early last year, work began on the 105 Avenue Connector and Hawthorne Park Improvements project. The purpose of the project was to improve connectivity between City Centre and Guildford through a new multi-modal collector road, as well as deliver numerous improvements to Hawthorne Park – including improved accessibility, a new aquatic habitat, and increasing the park’s overall size.

Since then, Phase 1 of the project, including the 105A Connector between Whalley Blvd and 144 Street has mostly completed, with some finishing touches remaining between 139 Street and 140 Street. The new 105A Avenue is a multi-modal corridor featuring 2 vehicle lanes, grade separated bike lanes, sidewalks, boulevards, fencing, and enhanced pedestrian-oriented street lighting. The route offers pedestrians and cyclists a pleasant alternative to 104 Avenue, skirting the edge of Hawthorne Park and continuing west past 140th Street into City Centre.

Below is a small photo tour of the new 105A and park improvements.

Completed phase 1 of 105A Connector project New 105A Ave though Hawthorne Park with sidewalk, bike-lane, and roadway New landscaping and habitat area New sidewalk and bike lane near Aquatic Habitat New pedestrian bridge over aquatic habitat New Aquatic Habitat at Hawthorne Park New Aquatic Habitat in Hawthorne Park New Aquatic Habitat from 105A Ave New 105A Avenue along south edge of Hawthorne Park New 105A Avenue between 139 Street and 140 Street New 105A Avenue between 139 Street and 140 Street

More info on the 105A Connector and Hawthorne Park Improvements Project can be found on the City’s website: https://www.surrey.ca/city-services/22562.aspx

Or take a visit for yourself!

A heritage revitalization project being proposed by Vancouver developer Rize Alliance at 9656 King George Blvd just north of Surrey Memorial Hospital, received unanimous approval by Surrey’s Advisory Design Panel (ADP) on February 14. The project, which must still appear before Council for approvals, is proposing to restore the 1969-built North Surrey Medical Building, while adding a new ‘twin’ commercial podium, and residential tower to the site.

The North Surrey Medical Building is listed in the Surrey City Centre Plan as a ‘Potential Heritage Resource’. If approved, the project will officially add the building to the City’s Heritage Register, and help to preserve and enhance mid-century heritage within the City Centre – a goal of the City Centre Plan.

Subject Site at 9656 King George Blvd

Aside from the Heritage Revitalization Agreement for the North Surrey Medical Building, the proposal is seeking to Rezone the subject site from CHI to CD, Consolidate 2 lots into 1, and obtain a Development Permit in order to construct 276 residential units and 1486 sq. m. of commercial space. The new commercial space is to occupy a new ‘twin’ 4-storey podium consisting of ground floor retail and 3 floors of office – adjacent to and resembling the original 1960’s building.

Now that the project has passed ADP – it can be expected to appear before Council within the coming months. More renderings and project details can also be expected at that time.

For more on the proposal: https://apps.surrey.ca/Online-Development-Inquiry/?year=18&seq=0276

The Marriott Autograph Collection, Civic Hotel officially opened on Wednesday, becoming the first hotel in Surrey’s new City Centre. While the hotel is now accepting bookings after being delayed for months, much of the building remains under construction. Aside from the condominium and KPU portions of the building which are expected to open later this year, the hotel’s outdoor pool, fitness centre, spa, and rooftop amenity spaces are also yet to open. Dominion Bar + Kitchen did open along with the hotel however, and has already become a hot spot bustling with activity. Prado Cafe while close to completion, is expected to open in the coming weeks.

As for the hotel’s lobby fronting onto Civic Plaza, the high columned ceilings, beautiful detailing, woodwork, art, and lounge spaces create a strong sense of place, flooded with natural light through the podium’s glass curtain wall. The Prado Cafe blends in seamlessly with the lobby, rather than functioning as a stand-alone cafe like their other locations.

Already, only being open a few days, the hotel and restaurant has brought new energy to the area, which will only grow once the rest of the building opens, and bookings begin to fill up for hotel guests and conferences. Bookings for rooms, as well as meetings and other events can be made through the Civic Hotel website https://civichotel.ca. More info on Dominion Bar + Kitchen can be found at https://dominionkitchen.com

Guest business centre in lobby

Prado Cafe still under construction – expected to open in coming weeks

Entrance to Dominion Bar + Kitchen from hotel lobby

The long awaited opening of Civic Hotel may finally be just around the corner. After numerous delays – having originally been set to open back in November – the hotel is finally showing signs that it is nearing completion. This week, fencing came down from in front of the building’s main lobby and Dominion Bar + Kitchen fronting Civic Plaza. In addition, landscaping has been planted next to Dominion’s patio, and a newly opened portion of Central Avenue. Signage for Dominion has also been installed on the awning.

While no official date has been set for opening, according to the Dominion Bar + Kitchen website, the restaurant is tentatively scheduled to host its first event – a comedy show – on April 21, 2018. The Marriott reservations website is now taking bookings for Civic Hotel for dates beginning on March 28, 2018 (although the available booking date has been pushed back in the past).

Despite looking nearing completion, it seems we will still have to wait another month or two before the hotel and restaurant open. Numerous things remain to be finished on the building including a number of additional signs to be installed, the removal of a construction elevator on the condo portion of the building, the completion of Civic Plaza lane on the north side of the building, the construction of Prado Cafe on the north side, and the finishing of numerous retail units along City Parkway. It is clear now that the building will open in phases – with the Hotel and Dominion Bar + Kitchen opening first, retail units along City Parkway likely following later this spring, the Condo tower by summer, and the 5-storey KPU campus this fall.

According to sources working on the project – one reason for the delayed opening of the building has been a water leak, affecting the elevator shaft of the main tower. This has delayed the removal of the exterior construction elevator for several months, as well as the exterior finishing of the north side of the tower, where the future Prado Cafe, and an exterior green wall will be. Rumours on the forum SkyscraperPage this week indicated that the construction elevator may finally be coming down by next week, which would hopefully help wrap up the exterior of the building prior to the hotel’s opening in less than 2 months. Regardless, it seems the building will remain an active construction site (at least on the inside) on the main tower and KPU portion, while the hotel and restaurant open on the other.

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

A 6-storey residential building proposed at the southern tip of City Centre near Surrey Memorial Hospital went to Council Monday night for 1st & 2nd readings. Located directly across from Queen Elizabeth Secondary School at 135 St & 94A Ave, the building will replace 3 existing single family homes built in the 1950’s. The area is envisioned to transform into a dense medical, health, and technology district surrounding Surrey Memorial Hospital, with similar 4-6 storey housing to eventually replace the remaining single family pocket west of King George Blvd and south of 96th Ave.

The building itself features a two-storey townhouse base with 4 floors of condos above for a total of 50 apartment units and 10 townhouse units. A reduced setback along both 135 St and 94A Ave achieves a more urban, pedestrian-oriented streetscape, consistent with the goals of the City Centre Plan. A new green lane will also be dedicated and constructed to the north of the building as per the City Centre Plan, helping to break up the block and achieve a finer-grained street network.

As per the Planning Report, completion and occupancy is targeted for June 2020.

Birds-eye rendering of proposed building Subject site within City Centre Plan

For more on the project:

http://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/PLR_7917-0205-00.pdf

Subject site at 10342 136A St

A development application has been submitted for a 35-storey residential tower above a 4-storey podium, as well as a 3-storey stand-alone commercial building on a long vacant, grassed site, on Whalley Blvd just north of Canadian Tire near Central Avenue. The address of the site is actually 10342 136A St, as the site has frontage on both Whalley Blvd and 136A St.

Details of the application indicate that the residential tower and podium are to contain 341 units, with 20,000 sq.ft. of ground floor retail, while the 3-storey stand-alone commercial building is to contain 23,800 sq.ft. of floor area (presumably office). In addition to the proposed buildings, the site has a future green-lane running east-west through it as per the City Centre Plan that will need to be dedicated as part of the development. Presumably, the 3-storey standalone commercial building will be located to the north of the lane, with the 35-storey tower and retail to the south.

The application is being represented by Focus Architecture Inc., who also designed the D’Corize tower at 104 Ave & University Dr, as well as the recent Delta Rise in North Delta. No renderings or further details of the application have been made public at this time. The site is directly to the north of Anthem Properties’ 7-tower ‘Georgetown’ development.

Subject site within the City Centre 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

For more on the application:

https://apps.surrey.ca/Online-Development-Inquiry/?year=18&seq=0141

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

Nearly 3 years since construction began, SFU’s new Sustainable Energy & Environmental Engineering Building officially opened today. The opening was marked with a ceremony attended by BC’s premier John Horgan, MLA’s and other guests. The 5-storey, 220,000 sq.ft. building, designed by Vancouver’s late Bing Thom, has already become a new landmark redefining the Surrey Central area.

As just the first phase in a three-phase expansion plan for SFU in Surrey City Centre, the new building will accommodate 440 full-time students, and be home to SFU’s Mechatronics Systems Engineering (MSE) program with additional space for SFU’s Technology Entrepreneurship program.

In addition to the building itself, the development has contributed to a new high quality streetscape along University Drive with grade-separated bike lanes, benches, and a temporary corner park at 102 Avenue. The grassed corner will remain until 102A Avenue is eventually re-aligned through that space and the Surrey Central Bus Loop, as per the City Centre Plan.

Current temporary corner park at 102 Avenue & University Dr Future re-alignment of 102A Avenue

For more on the new SFU building:

http://www.sfu.ca/sfunews/stories/2019/04/sfu-opens-new-sustainable-building-as-first-phase-of-surrey-camp.html

SFU’s first phase of expansion in Surrey continues to progress quickly at University Dr and 102 Ave. The building has now reached 2 levels in height north of its future atrium, while a double height first floor and lecture theatre are under construction on its southern portion. To the north behind it, Prime on the Plaza also continues to rise, now at a height of 10 storeys.

SFU’s Sustainable Energy & Environmental Engineering Building is the first of a planned 3 phase expansion of the campus on the parking lots surrounding Central City. A residence tower is also planned next to this current phase on the remaining portion of the site framed by the ‘L’ shape of the building, fronting 102 Ave. It is expected that the Sustainable Energy & Environmental Engineering Building will be completed as early as spring 2018, and open for classes by fall 2018.

Reliance Properties and MacDonald Development’s Prime on the Plaza is beginning to rise quickly now over University Drive. Over the past month the building’s 4-storey townhouse / retail podium has taken shape, with work on the tower floors now progressing at a rate of about 1 floor per week. With the tower now 7 floors above ground, and 30 floors left to go, it could reach it’s final height by the end of the year, in roughly 30 weeks or 8 months.

To the adjacent south of the project, SFU’s Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering Building also continues to progress quickly, with that project now 1 floor above ground for much of the site, and work beginning on the 2nd floor.

The much anticipated government funding for the SFU Surrey expansion was finally announced today at a much-publicized event on the Surrey campus. At the event, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Christy Clark announced Federal and Provincial funding in the amount of $45 million each to the project. This funding will go towards the already underway first phase of a 3-phase expansion of the campus, with an additional $26 million from SFU and donors to fund future phases 2 and 3 on the remaining recreation centre surface parking lots.

While today’s announcement was news to many, UrbanSurrey first reported on the SFU expansion back in early June 2016 after a development application was submitted by SFU on the subject site at University Drive and 102 Avenue. Since then, today’s announcement has revealed that the new building is on track to open in Spring 2018, and that it will house the proposed Energy Systems and Environmental Engineering Program – an interdisciplinary engineering stream that will support the clean tech and sustainable energy sector.

New renderings were also released today, similar to those posted by UrbanSurrey back in July. The Bing Thom designed building will be a great addition to the City Centre as part of a rapidly changing University Drive.

https://www.sfu.ca/sfunews/stories/2016/sfu-moves-ahead-with-surrey-campus-expansion.html

Further to the update earlier this month on the SFU expansion project, more site clearing has taken place adjacent to the project.

As of Oct 27th, trees on 3 lots to the west of the project were cleared, and the site is now being prepped for what appears to be a construction staging site for the SFU project. No development applications have been submitted on the lots, all that is known is that they are owned by the City of Surrey. When complete a new Urban Green Lane will run North-South between these recently cleared lots and the SFU project, as shown on the plan below.

With this added clearing of trees, the area west of University Drive known as West Village continues its transformation into Surrey’s first high-density urban neighbourhood.