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

A proposal to revitalize the North Surrey Medical Building at 9656 King George Blvd in the emerging Health & Technology District is heading to Council on Monday for 1st & 2nd Readings. The project, by Vancouver’s Rize Alliance, is seeking to restore and integrate the 1960’s North Surrey Medical Building on site into a new mixed-use development consisting of a new 4-storey office and retail podium along King George Blvd, and a new 31-storey residential tower behind. The project was first reported on here back in February when it passed ADP.

According to the Planning Report to Council, the application is seeking both OCP and City Centre Plan amendments for increased density from 3.5 FAR to 5.5 FAR to allow for the proposed development. In exchange for the increased density, the project is proposing to preserve and revitalize the 1960’s North Surrey Medical Building on-site under a Heritage Revitalization Agreement. In total the project is to contain:

• • 293 Apartment Units
  • 5 Townhouse Units
  • 34,369 sq.ft.sq.ft. of Commercial Space with within the revitalized North Surrey Medical Building and new adjacent 4-storey podium (including ground floor retail along King George Blvd)

A landscaped courtyard designed by Vancouver’s PWL Partnership will separate the residential and commercial portions of the project. The Architect on the project is Stantec.

In addition to the revitalization of the North Surrey Medical Building, the applicant will be providing community amenity contributions including funding towards enhancements to Quibble Creek in the area. Contributions will also be provided for construction of a new east-west lane to the directly adjacent north of the site in the future, and towards the City’s Affordable Housing Strategy.

For more information on the project: https://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/PLR_7918-0276-00.pdf

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

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

Rize Alliance, the developer behind Wave and the recently released Linea, has submitted an application for their next development in City Centre. Located at 10138 Whalley Blvd just south of 102 Avenue, the project would replace an existing 3-storey walk-up apartment complex built in the 1970’s.

While not many details have been released so far, what is known is that the project is to contain 1,070 units – likely within 2-3 towers above a mixed-use podium base. The subject site is currently designated ‘Residential Mid to High Rise 3.5 FAR’ in the City Centre Plan, and is located just to the south of Anthem Properties ‘Georgetown‘ development, which recently received 3rd reading for phase 1 its 7-tower master-planned community.

The new Rize application is currently under initial review at the City of Surrey. More details can be expected once the project proceeds to Council.

Subject Site containing an existing 3-storey apartment complex Subject site containing an existing 3-storey apartment complex Subject site within City Centre Plan

Public consultation is set to get underway this month for the proposed Surrey Langley SkyTrain (SLS) extension, as well as the future of rapid transit along 104 Avenue & King George Blvd.

In 2014, the regional Mayors Council identified Fraser Highway, King George Boulevard, and 104 Avenue as priority corridors for rapid transit South of the Fraser in the 10-Year Vision. Following a study looking at combinations of SkyTrain, LRT, and Bus Rapid Transit for the corridors, the Mayors Council decided on 27-km of urban-style LRT on dedicated track (separate from traffic) on each of the corridors to be built over 2 phases:

• Phase 1: Surrey-Newton-Guildford Line on 104 Avenue & King George Boulevard
• Phase 2: Surrey-Langley Line on Fraser Highway

With funding in place to cover the entire first phase, and construction set to begin this year – a last minute request was made in 2018 by Surrey’s new Council to the regional Mayors’ Council to suspend the Phase 1 Surrey-Newton-Guildford LRT line and re-direct funding to the Phase 2 Surrey-Langley line instead, while switching the technology of the Phase 2 line to SkyTrain. The Mayors’ Council voted to move forward with this request, and directed TransLink to begin planning work for SkyTrain on Fraser Highway while at the same time re-visit rapid transit plans for 104 Avenue and King George Boulevard corridors.

Proposed Surrey Langley SkyTrain route and conceptual stations

The switch of priorities to the Phase 2 Fraser Highway line and changing its technology to SkyTrain has had implications both in budget and timeline. The funding that was allocated for the full Phase 1 Surrey-Newton-Guildford LRT line has been identified as inadequate to fund the entire Fraser Highway SkyTrain extension to Langley. Pending a future round of funding (timeline unclear), the line may have to be phased, with the current funding getting the line potentially only as far as Fleetwood. Start of construction and delivery of new rapid transit South of the Fraser is also now delayed by approximately 2 years as a result of the switch.

Despite the funding and timeline uncertainties, planning work is nonetheless well underway for the new SLS line, which will need to involve a significant re-evaluation of land-use plans along the Fraser Highway corridor to support SkyTrain, completion of a number of supportive studies, and extensive Public Consultation. In a project update report to Surrey Council this week – a preliminary timeline was given for this work by TransLink, with start of service targeted for 2025.

To run concurrently with the SLS planning and consultation work will be a planning process to ‘refresh’ the South Fraser Rapid Transit Strategy for delivering the Mayors’ Council fully envisioned 27km of Rapid Transit along each of the Fraser Hwy, King George Blvd, and 104 Ave corridors. This refresh will look to re-examine and engage the public on what rapid transit along the remaining corridors could look like, now that SkyTrain has been chosen as the technology for Fraser Hwy. The 2013 Rapid Transit Alternatives Study identified Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for these corridors based on a scenario with SkyTrain on Fraser Hwy. With much LRT planning work having now been completed however, for the 104 Ave and King George Blvd corridors, it’s possible that LRT could still be an option for them rather than BRT, especially given Surrey’s long-term rapid transit vision for an extensive LRT network on major arterials across the City.

The first round of Public Consultation on the SLS line and South Fraser Rapid Transit refresh gets underway on April 11 in Langley, with open houses in Surrey on April 15, 16, and 17. TransLink has also recently launched an online survey where you can voice your feedback on the proposed SLS line. Open House times are set for the following dates and locations between 3-8pm:

• Thursday, April 11 – Langley City Hall
• Monday, April 15 – Surrey Sport & Leisure Complex (Fleetwood)
• Tuesday, April 16 – Surrey City Hall
• Wednesday, April 17 – Newton Seniors Centre

More info on the land-use planning review process for the Fraser Highway Corridor being undertaken by the City of Surrey can be found here: https://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/CR_2019-R059.pdf

According to an article published this week in the Surrey Now-Leader, a development application has finally been submitted for the much anticipated Veterans Village project on the site of the Whalley Legion at 13525 106 Ave. First announced back in 2015 as a 2-tower project resembling the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, the project has since gone through 2 major design revisions to become what is now a much less ambitious single-tower project.

The new design by Wensley Architecture still incorporates reference to the Vimy Memorial, but has been significantly scaled-back from the previous 2-tower concept. The proposal now more closely resembles the City Centre I & II towers by the same developer and architect near Surrey Memorial Hospital. The tower is intended to serve as a facility where veterans, soldiers and emergency first-responders will be treated for post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health-related concerns. It will also include a research and rehabilitation centre, as well as temporary housings for patients and their families, a healing garden and new legion lounge.

Original concept for Veterans Village from Fall 2015

Aside from the design of the building itself, the project will be transformative for the area it is located within. Situated on 106 Ave between City Parkway and 135A St, the project is adjacent to the infamous 135A Strip to the east, with its homelessness and drug problems. To the west however is Tom Binnie Park, the BC Lions Training Facility. In response to this interface, the building is proposed to face west and front onto City Parkway, with its back and a temporary parking lot to face the east side of the site along 135A St until homeless problems can be addressed. The City of Surrey currently has a number of initiatives underway to address the problem on 135A, which includes new shelters and interim housing for this population elsewhere in the city.

As per the City Centre Plan for the area, a new east-west road (106A Ave) is proposed to be dedicated along the north side of the project, and shown in project renderings. This would result in the building site being surrounded by roads on all 4 sides. The project’s City Parkway frontage will further develop this key urban street running north-south through City Centre connecting Gateway to Surrey Central.

Site of proposed Veterans Village within City Centre Plan

According to the Surrey-Now Leader article, the project is expected to be fast-tracked through the City approvals process under the newly implemented ‘Nexus’ program, and appear before Council by February. If all goes well, the project could break ground as early as Spring 2018.

A proposal to revitalize the North Surrey Medical Building at 9656 King George Blvd in the emerging Health & Technology District is heading to Council on Monday for 1st & 2nd Readings. The project, by Vancouver’s Rize Alliance, is seeking to restore and integrate the 1960’s North Surrey Medical Building on site into a new mixed-use development consisting of a new 4-storey office and retail podium along King George Blvd, and a new 31-storey residential tower behind. The project was first reported on here back in February when it passed ADP.

According to the Planning Report to Council, the application is seeking both OCP and City Centre Plan amendments for increased density from 3.5 FAR to 5.5 FAR to allow for the proposed development. In exchange for the increased density, the project is proposing to preserve and revitalize the 1960’s North Surrey Medical Building on-site under a Heritage Revitalization Agreement. In total the project is to contain:

• • 293 Apartment Units
  • 5 Townhouse Units
  • 34,369 sq.ft.sq.ft. of Commercial Space with within the revitalized North Surrey Medical Building and new adjacent 4-storey podium (including ground floor retail along King George Blvd)

A landscaped courtyard designed by Vancouver’s PWL Partnership will separate the residential and commercial portions of the project. The Architect on the project is Stantec.

In addition to the revitalization of the North Surrey Medical Building, the applicant will be providing community amenity contributions including funding towards enhancements to Quibble Creek in the area. Contributions will also be provided for construction of a new east-west lane to the directly adjacent north of the site in the future, and towards the City’s Affordable Housing Strategy.

For more information on the project: https://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/PLR_7918-0276-00.pdf

Each year, as part of the Surrey’s Capital Construction Program, approximately 300 capital infrastructure projects related to transportation, drainage, sewer, and water improvements are constructed in the city.  Of these projects this year, the following are set to be completed in City Centre:

Arterial Paving Upgrade

King George Blvd (University Dr to 108 Ave)

Bike Lanes Upgrade

102 Ave (University Dr to 140 St)

New Collector Road 

103A Ave (132 St to 133 St) + 103 Ave (University Dr to City Parkway)

New Signalized Intersection

108 Ave & City Parkway

District Energy Network Expansion

Various Locations

Surrey City Energy is an award-winning City-owned district energy utility that supplies high-density residential, commercial and institutional buildings in City Centre with heat and hot water.

The district energy system produces hot water at centralized facilities and then distributes this hot water by way of a dedicated pipe system to heat buildings throughout various City Centre districts. The system uses low GHG-emission energy sources such as:

• Organic waste (kitchen scraps, etc.) from residential homes throughout Surrey;
• Geoexchange from the ground;
• Solar from the sun;
• Biomass from clean waste wood;
• Waste heat from buildings, industry and waste water.

For more on District Energy:
http://www.surrey.ca/community/3475.aspx

For more on City-wide Capital Construction projects in 2017:
http://www.surrey.ca/files/CapitalConstructionBook.pdf

Street Lighting Upgrade to LED

All roads in City Centre

As part of Surrey’s LED Roadway Lighting Upgrade program which began in 2016, the City Centre will continue to have its street lighting upgraded to a modern LED system in 2017. This new lighting system replaces the current orange coloured ‘high pressure sodium (HPS)’ street lights currently in use both in Surrey, and much of the world, with new white coloured LED lighting that provides superior lighting quality, energy, and cost savings.  Surrey will be one of the first cities in Canada to convert its street lighting to LED. The program is to be implemented citywide over the next 5 years.

It was misreported this week that hundreds of trees were cut down in Hawthorne Park for light rail transit after drone footage was posted to YouTube showing tree clearing for a new extension of 105A Avenue. The clearing was actually for the 105A Avenue connector project itself – which has been planned for 30 years – and is independent of, and pre-dates the LRT project itself. The new road is however being fast-tracked in advance of LRT, to provide a relief route for traffic once construction begins on 104 Avenue. The road was planned to be constructed regardless of whether LRT, SkyTrain, or no rapid transit was planned at all for 104 Avenue.

In the drone footage and captured images – a large clearing of trees is shown giving the dramatic impression of a clear-cut of the park to make way for the new road (or LRT if you’ve been mislead by headlines). The reality is, this cleared area only represents a small fraction of the park’s vast forested area, and the road itself will only consume a narrow 2-lane wide portion of this, with the remainder to be used for a new aquatic habitat and enhanced environmental area. The cleared area also skirts the edge of undeveloped treed lots to the south – giving the impression of cutting through the middle of the park in this area – when in fact the road runs along the edge of the park.

Captured image from drone footage showing clearing along southern edge of Hawthorne Park. Cleared area in perspective – majority to be used for new aquatic habitat/environmental area. Lands to south are private property outside park designated for future mixed-use.

While the tree clearing for western portions of 105A Avenue does cut more through the park rather than skirt the edge – when put into perspective – this cleared area pales in comparison to the remaining forested lands preserved elsewhere in the park. Further to this – planned expansions of the park, reclaimed green space from relocating the parking lot, and the new aquatic habitat and environmental enhancement area more than offset the impacts of the minor 2-lane collector road that is to be constructed – not to be confused with an arterial road as misreported by the Daily Hive.

105A connector routing through the southern edge of Hawthorne Park in perspective. Vast majority of park to be preserved, expanded, and enhanced. Artist rendering of new 2-lane 105A connector and new aquatic habitat, environmental enhancement area, and future development site south of 105A Avenue outside of Park. Artist rendering of new 2-lane 105A connector along edge of Hawthorne Park and new aquatic habitat, environmental enhancement area, and relocated parking lot/reclaimed green space.

The new 2-lane road (planned for 30 years) will not only add much needed east-west capacity to Surrey’s road network between densifying City Centre and Guildford, but also improve accessibility to Hawthorne Park – better integrating it with its evolving urban context, with new gateway features, pathways, and entrances – which will result in more people using and enjoying the park. Today, it remains a largely hidden, underutilized, rural park from a previous era, that is easy to pass by without recognizing it is even there.

It is important to realize, that a road through a park isn’t the end or destruction of Hawthorne Park or a call for protest, particularly when so much value and improvements will be added to offset the impacts. Many world renowned parks have roads through them, and are doing just fine.

Some examples of great parks with roads through them:

• Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC
• Central Park, New York, USA
• Tiergarten Park, Berlin, Germany
• And the list goes on.. and on.

Hawthorne Park will live on, and emerge even better than before.

For more on the 105A Connector and Hawthorne Park Improvements project:

http://www.surrey.ca/city-services/22562.aspx

Central City Shopping Centre has recently announced plans and begun work on a major renovation of aging parts of its complex. As part of the initial phase, the 2-storey portion of the mall between Wal-Mart and T&T Supermarket is currently being updated with a new contemporary look featuring wood paneling around balcony areas and a wave-like feature in the atrium. It is expected that once this phase is completed, upgrades will be expanded to remaining portions of the mall in need of updates.

At present the mall is a haphazard mix of interiors dating from various eras of expansions and renovations. Some of the oldest portions have not been updated since the 90s when the mall was known as Surrey Place. This latest update should help to bring a cohesive look to the complex, and hopefully attract new tenants. Since opening in the 1960’s the mall has seen much transformation and numerous expansions, the most significant being the addition of SFU and the Office Tower in 2003. It is hoped that this latest renovation will help to attract new tenants to the shopping centre which has seen a resurgence of activity lately, with the mall now busier than it’s been in over a decade thanks to the mix of uses in the complex. The Central City leasing brochure currently shows a large section in the centre of the mall where a corridor used to be as up for lease. It’s anticipated that a future phase of renovations will involve the re-opening of this wing adding new retail space and improved mall connectivity.

Beyond this current wave of renovation there remains the potential for even further evolution of the complex, particularly where surface parking now exists along its King George Blvd frontage, as well as its frontage facing Holland Park along Old Yale Rd. These two sides of the mall hold tremendous opportunity for re-development and transformation of the shopping centre as Surrey City Centre grows, and Central City evolves into Surrey’s key downtown destination shopping centre.

http://www.centralcity.ca

Blackwood Partners has submitted a development application for the much anticipated Central City 2 office tower – proposed for the corner of King George Blvd and Old Yale Road on the site of a former Best Buy. The 25-storey tower designed by ZGF Architects is to be built to Class AAA and LEED Platinum standards and contain over 500,000 SF of office space, and 20,000 SF of ground level retail.

The proposed design of the tower has undergone considerable revision since first announced back in November 2017. The tower now features copper / reddish toned shading fins on its exterior, and a refined, more cohesive massing and podium. The tower also features expansive green roof decks, premium fitness facilities for office tenants, bike lockers, electric vehicle charging, high-speed elevators, and a ground level urban plaza, anchored by a restaurant, café, and retail.

New plaza at corner of Old Yale Road & City Parkway Conceptual ground level floor plan Office tower views Premium fitness facilities for office tower tenants

Following the completion of the original Central City office tower and SFU campus back in 2003, Central City 2 will form the next phase of a long-term vision to redevelop the remainder of the Central City Shopping Centre site. While just conceptual at this point, the long-term plan would see the remaining parking lots to the north redeveloped with mixed-use development and new streets. The mall itself is envisioned to be reconfigured to include a number of new tower sites, and a large new plaza entrance fronting Holland Park on Old Yale Road – mirroring the existing Central City Plaza to the north and creating a connection through the mall linking the city’s civic core to Holland Park.

Along with the recently submitted development application, Blackwood Partners has also now begun marketing the tower for lease, and will be opening a presentation centre in the Central City Shopping Centre in early 2019. The current leasing brochure can be found here.

A development application has finally been submitted for a proposed 50-storey ‘Education Mega Centre’ first announced last fall by WestStone Group. The mixed-use building which is to consist of student housing, a college campus, commercial uses, and hotel, is set to replace the well-known Stardust roller skating rink that has been on the site since the 1970’s. The project is a partnership between the education and student-housing investment company CIBT Education Group  and Surrey developer WestStone Group. CIBT already owns and operates a global network of business, technical, and language colleges throughout North America and Asia.

According to CIBT’s website, the proposed Mega Center is expected to be an iconic 50-storey high-rise tower. Details include:

• The Mega Centre will be located at the heart of Surrey city center immediately between Simon Fraser University and future location of Kwantlan Polytechnic University. With Surrey’s state of the art Civic Library and the iconic Surrey City Hall located within one block, along with Surrey Central SkyTrain station and the central bus loop located in front of the Mega Center and the upcoming Light Rail Transit (LRT) system on its doorstep, this is one of the most desirable and convenient locations for students and visitors.
• 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.

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