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 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 26-Storey residential tower proposed at Central Ave and 133 St in the growing West Village neighbourhood received Preliminary Approval following Public Hearing on January 13. The project, named ‘CityWalk’ and being developed by Huacheng Holdings is located directly across from the new West Village District Energy Centre and Park, as well as the recently completed Evolve tower.
Designed by Wilson Chang Architect, the project is to include 223 units within a 26-storey tower above a 4-storey podium with ground-oriented townhouse units at the base fronting along Central Ave and 133 St. The building is intended to transition height from taller towers east of the site, down to a low to mid-rise form west of the site along 132 St at the edge of City Centre.
Perspective view looking north-east with 36-storey Evolve across the street 
View facing south-west from 133 St & Central Ave 
View facing north from proposed Public Pathway 
View facing north west from 133 St
As part of the Landscape Plan prepared for the site by Vancouver’s ETA Landscape Architecture, a public walkway is proposed along the south side of the building, lending the project its name. This pathway will connect to an existing public walkway across the street to the east between the Evolve and Ultra towers, and eventually extend further east through to Civic Plaza as more projects develop. A green-roof is also proposed as part of the plan on top of the low-rise podium.
Additionally as part of the project, Central Avenue will see its remaining south half dedicated and constructed west of 133 St for the length of the site, inclusive of a separated bike lane to match the already constructed north side of the street.
Having now received 3rd Reading, the project can be expected to receive Final Approval within a year, and completion likely by 2024-5.
For more on the project https://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/PLR_7918-0125-00.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
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
After being referred back to Staff by Council on September 16 due to a misunderstanding over building height, Central City II returned to Council tonight to receive 1st & 2nd Readings and the OK to proceed to Public Hearing in 2 weeks. No changes were made to the proposal, which will proceed based on its original 25-storey (382′) height. The re-introduced planning report included better contextual information to help convey to the Mayor and Council how the building will fit into the surrounding area, as well as the sheer volume of office space it will contain given its large floor plate. The Mayor and Council had previously sent the application back to staff, having thought the tower would be shorter than the 35-Storey residential towers across the street at King George. McCallum’s arguments included:
- “This is not a highrise development”
- “Twenty-five storeys in our City Centre is way too low.”
- “The towers at King George Station across the street are taller”
- “We have only a certain amount of land in our City Centre and it’s really important to make sure we use that land appropriately”
In reality, the 25-Storey office tower would be slightly taller than the 35-storey residential tower across the street due to differences between residential and office floor heights. Central City 2 is proposed at 382 ft. while the Infinity tower at Concord Park Place is 377 ft. Further, if Central City II were built today, it would be the 3rd tallest building in Surrey after 3 Civic Plaza (538 ft.) and Park Avenue West (393 ft.). This would not be the case for long however, with 3 other towers currently under construction exceeding the height of Central City 2. Once those are completed, Central City 2 would be the 6th tallest in Surrey, yet still at comparable height to others in the top 5.
- 3 Civic Plaza (538 ft.)
- One Central (438 ft.)
- Park Boulevard (407 ft.)
- King George Hub B1 (404 ft.).
- Park Avenue West (393 ft.)
- Central City II (382 ft.)
Comparison of Surrey’s tallest towers (built & under construction) with Central City II
Height aside, the sheer volume of office space to be provided by the building will bring a significant boost to the City Centre, where demand is currently high, and vacancy low. Central City 2 is to contain 567,114sq.ft. of class AAA commercial office space, when currently there is a total of just 1.2 million in the entire City Centre. That’s adding half the current amount of office space in City Centre in a single building. In addition, the building is to contain 16,168 sq.ft. of ground floor retail and restaurant space in its large podium spanning an entire city block. A market analysis commissioned by the developer found the amount of proposed space to be adequate in meeting current demand in City Centre.
Central City 2 (far right) along with conceptual future redevelopment of mall site 
Model of Central City 2 along with conceptual future redevelopment of mall site
More information on the proposal can be found in the planning report below:
https://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/PLR_7918-0428-00(1).pdf
Site of proposed 55-storey Education Mega Centre 
Rendering of the proposed 55-Storey Education Mega Centre
Looking north on 133 St 
Looking east from 133 St 
Looking east through a future pedestrian corridor towards Civic Plaza 
Looking south on 133 St 
Looking east along Central Avenue 
Townhouse units along Central Avenue 
North facade of tower 
3-Storey retail/office component on Central Avenue 
Looking south from parkette at Wave 
Looking south – Wave parkette and public art sculpture in foreground 
South side of office/retail building
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
The Grand (46-Storey Residential, Office, Retail) – Excavation now underway
Holland Parkside Phase 1 (11-Storey Office, 19-Storey Rental) – Excavation progressing 
Parc Centrale (20-Storey Residential, Office, Legion) – View looking south along City Parkway. 
One Central (44-Storey Condo, Retail) – View looking west from Central City 
Plaza One & Two @ King George Hub (41 + 44-Storey Residential, Office, Retail) – Excavation progressing 
Centra (23-Storey Residential) – Excavation continuing with parking levels construction underway. 
University District (28 +37-Storey Residential, Retail) – View from University Dr of tallest tower main entry and podium. 
The Holland (25-Storey Residential) – View looking north-west along Old Yale Rd. 
Park George (35 + 39-Storey Residential) – Excavation continues with foundational work underway 
Parker (4-Storey Residential) – View looking north-east from 139 St & 105 Blvd
