A new promotional video has been posted on the City of Surrey’s YouTube channel featuring the emerging West Village neighbourhood of Surrey City Centre. Located to the west of Surrey Central Station north of 102 Ave and south of 104 Ave, West Village is a newly coined name for the area, in the midst of transformation into high density, mixed-use, green, urban neighbourhood.

Already home to a number of residential towers, West Village is poised to grow rapidly over the next decade with the addition of more residential towers, shops, offices, parks, pedestrian walkways, bike paths, a district energy centre, and an expanded Simon Fraser University. All this within close walking distance to SkyTrain, future LRT, Civic Plaza, and the city’s emerging Central Business District.

Aside from the focus on West Village, the video features a new live-action 3D rendered depiction of the future City Centre area, envisioned by 2025. While many of the future buildings shown in the video are conceptual placeholders, many others are known proposals or already under construction such as SFU’s Sustainable Energy & Environmental Engineering Building, and Weststone Group’s Evolve. Oddly however some known proposed and even under-construction buildings are absent from the film, such as the under construction Prime on the Plaza, which is shown as a vacant grass field next to SFU in the video.

The video and screenshots can be found below:

View of future Surrey City Centre (approx. 2025) West Village Neighbourhood (approx. 2025) View looking east on future Central Ave next to under construction Evolve View looking west on future Central Ave towards under construction Evolve View of the future District Energy Centre and West Village Park Top down view of future West Village Park & District Energy Centre Future West Village Park View of the Central Business District Future pedestrianized City Parkway at Central Avenue  SFU Sustainable Energy & Environmental Engineering Building View west towards SFU and West Village View west along Central Avenue (Oddly missing Prime on the Plaza)

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

Tien Sher Group’s long awaited ‘Whalley District’ is finally heading to Council on Monday June 12 for 1st & 2nd Readings. The project which first appeared in 2012 under a previous application, and then again in 2015 under its current application, is aiming to kickstart a revitalization of the historic heart of Whalley near 108th Ave & King George Blvd.

Details of the plan released in the Planning Report to Council indicate that the project will be built in 3 phases as outlined below:

Phase 1:

• • A 6-storey condo tower with retail at ground level fronting Whalley Blvd
  • A 35-storey condo tower with retail, arts, and plaza space below.
  • 4 live/work townhouse units
  • A 426-sq. metre (4,585-sq.ft.) street-level outdoor plaza at the intersection of future 136A Street and 107A Avenue. The plaza is intended to be used as a public gathering space where frequent weekend entertainment, education, and art events can take place. The applicant has proposed to partner with a non-profit arts and culture organization (Flamingo Square Arts Connection) to activate the space.

Phase 1 will include a total of 349 dwelling units. The commercial component for Phase 1 will consist of 1,960 square metres (21,095 sq.ft.) of floor area.

Phases 2-3:

• A 37-storey condo tower with retail at ground level
• A 46-storey condo tower with retail at ground level, including a large-format grocery store.

It is expected that Phase 1 of the project will get underway by Spring 2018.

The January 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 over the past month, as well as a brief overview of development stats in 2020 in context of the previous 5 years.

New Development Applications

Two new development applications were submitted within City Centre during December 2020, bringing the total number of major applications under initial review to 32. This represents approximately 35 High-Rises (>6-Storeys) and 22 Low-Rises (4-6 Storeys).

20 – 0304 | 13301 104 Ave

This large site located on 104 Ave just west of University Dr saw a Rezoning, Subdivision, OCP Amendment, City Centre Amendment, and Development Permit application submitted in December 2020. The application is proposing to redevelop an existing low-rise multi-family housing complex into 6 new buildings containing 2,444 units, 2,400 SF of retail space, and 4,652 SF of daycare space.

20 – 0326 | 10937 132A St

A Rezoning, Subdivision, and Development Permit application was submitted in December 2020 for this site located on 132A St just north of 109 Ave near Gateway Station. The application is proposing to consolidate 4 existing single family lots into 1 new lot in order to develop a low-rise residential building containing 159 units. The site is to the adjacent east and across the lane from the currently under construction 5-Storey Camellia Seniors Living project.

Council Approvals

Four major projects received approval from Council during December 2020, joining 28 other pre-existing approved projects. As of January 2021, there are now 32 approved projects in City Centre, representing 40 High-Rises (>6-Storeys), and 21 Low-Rises (4-6 Storeys).

19 – 0370 | Quinn Apartments

This 6-storey residential project by Porte Homes received 3rd Reading (Conditional Approval) on December 21, 2020. Located at 134 St & 94A Ave, across from Queen Elizabeth Meadows Park, the project includes 174 units with ground oriented townhouse units along both street frontages. The project will also dedicate a new ‘green lane’ along the north of the site, and include a publicly accessible landscaped pedestrian pathway along the east edge of the site.

19 – 0372 | King George & 106A

This mixed-use residential / commercial project consisting of two towers (42 & 50 Storeys) at King George Blvd & 106A Ave received 3rd Reading (Conditional Approval) on December 7, 2020. Designed by Vancouver’s MCM Architects, the project includes 1,019 units and 7,868 SF of ground-level retail space along future 106A Avenue. The project will also dedicate a new portion of 136A St running north-south through the middle of the site.

20 – 0016 | Yorkton

This 6-storey residential project on 108 Ave just east of 138 St received 3rd Reading (Conditional Approval) on December 7, 2020. Designed by Vancouver’s WA Architects, the project includes 193 units between 2 buildings. The project will also dedicate a new ‘green lane’ along the rear of the site to the south, and include a publicly accessible landscaped pedestrian pathway running north south between the 2 buildings.

20 – 0207 | Sunshine Co-op

This 6-storey co-operative housing project by the Sunshine Co-op received 3rd Reading (Conditional Approval) on December 21, 2020. Located at the corner of 132 St & 104 Ave across from Kwantlen Park Secondary, the project will include 69 affordable housing units. The project will also dedicate a new ‘green lane’ along the west side of the site.

Construction

No new projects began construction during December 2020, however one 6-storey residential project known as La Voda, resumed construction after having been halted in the fall of 2020. As of January 2021, there are now 17 projects under construction in City Centre, representing 15 high- rises (>6 Storeys) and 7 low-rises (4-6-storeys).

Camellia | 5-Storey Seniors Residential | 132 St & 109 Ave One Central | 44-Storey Residential + Retail | 133 St & Central Ave City Centre 3 | 10-Storey Office + Retail | 96 Ave & 137A St University District | 28 & 37-Storey Residential + Retail | University Dr & 104 Ave Linea | 28-Storey Residential | 133A St & 104 Ave Legion Veterans Village | 20-Storey Mixed-Use | City Parkway & 106 Ave Maverick | 5-Storey Residential | Whalley Blvd & Grosvenor Rd King George Hub (Phase B + C) | 29, 34 & 40-Storey Residential + 15-Storey Office + Retail | King George Blvd & Fraser Hwy King George Hub (Phase B) Retail Component | King George Blvd & Fraser Hwy Parker | 4-Storey Residential | 139 St & 105 Ave Georgetown One | 30-Storey Residential + Retail | 102 Ave & Whalley Blvd

Lark Group held a ground breaking ceremony yesterday for their next phase in the Health & Technology District – City Centre 3. The new 10-storey office building will be the latest in a series of 8 planned buildings for the district, home to a network of academics, entrepreneurs, multinational companies, start-ups, and some of the most advanced digital health, wellness, technology, and clinical service organizations in the world.

Situated directly across the street from Surrey Memorial Hospital at 96 Avenue and 137A Street, the tower will contain offices, retail and restaurant services, state-of-the-art fitness facilities, secure underground parking, and a common area rooftop terrace. Completion is expected by 2021.

The ground breaking ceremony was attended by the newly elected Mayor Doug McCallum, as well as a number of Councillors, representatives from Lark Group, and business leaders involved in the Health & Technology District. While McCallum praised the District as playing “a major contributing role to the economic growth of Surrey” he of course failed to recognize that due to his government’s action, the district will no longer be receiving a rapid transit station as was planned for 96 Avenue with LRT. It’s unfortunate that this significant and growing employment, research, and medical hub will now continue to be serviced by a small bus stop at 96 Avenue and King George Blvd so that SkyTrain can be built along Fraser Hwy serving low density suburban neighbourhoods instead.

Formerly planned rapid transit station at 96 Avenue in the Health & Technology District that will no longer be built Health & Technology District bus stop that will remain as a result of switch to SkyTrain on Fraser Hwy instead

The Health and Technology District is being developed by Lark Group in anticipation of the rapidly growing health and technology sector in B.C. The District has already attracted a large number of innovative health, education and technology organizations to its first 2 buildings – City Centre 1 & 2 – and is becoming a new epicentre for BC’s emerging technology economy.

View of Health & Technology District along 96 Avenue City Centre 3 at 96 Avenue & 137A Street Looking north along 137A Street

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.

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

View looking south-east at corner of City Parkway and new 106A Ave

New renderings were released this week of Lark Group’s upcoming ‘Veteran’s Village’ project – set to replace the existing Whalley Legion at 106 Ave & City Parkway. This latest design is the 4th redesign to be released publicly since the project was first announced back in 2015.

Design Progression

Initially, in 2015, the project was to feature twin towers resembling the Vimy Ridge Memorial in France. The design, by Michael Green Architecture, was noted to be conceptual at the time, and later proved to be a bit ambitious of an undertaking for the project.

2015 design for Veterans Village

In late 2016, a new design was revealed for the project, scaling it back to a single building of lesser height, and less iconic of architecture, yet still featuring reference to the Vimy Ridge Memorial, and situated on a site surrounded by expansive plaza space.

2016 design for a single tower project

A year later, in November 2017, an application was finally submitted for the project, but based on yet again, another redesign. This time, the project appeared to be scaled back even more. Much of the plaza space depicted in early designs had been eliminated, and the building’s architecture further simplified.

2017 Rendering looking east from City Parkway

Now, as of April 2018, a radical redesign has been released, showing a return to a 2-tower project, with a much more iconic, urban, and architecturally forward design. The tower has retained its reference to the Vimy Ridge Memorial through a creatively designed facade, and now fills out the block that it occupies in a much more urban form. Wide sidewalks are depicted on both City Parkway and 106 Avenue with double rows of boulevard trees – in what looks to be intended as a quasi plaza space at the base of the tower, integrated with the sidewalk. The tower heights have also changed – with the main tower depicted at 21 storeys and the tower behind at 27 storeys.

2018 design for Veteran’s Village looking north-east at corner of City Parkway and 106 Ave Project location with City Centre Plan

With this return to a 2 tower design, it is unclear whether the 2nd tower is an envisioned 2nd phase – or if both will be built at the same time and also serve the same use purposes. From Lark Group’s website, the project is described as the first of its kind in Canada, and will be:

A multi-purpose facility designed as a centre of excellence in clinical and rehabilitation services for Veterans and first responders, with a mix of social and affordable housing.  It will include space for research and delivery of health care programs, services and trauma counselling to address issues like PTSD. It will also provide clinical spaces to advance evidence-based services and programming in health, science and engineering, including innovations in robotics, assistive devices and exoskeletons for injured Veterans and first responders.

With the latest rendering release, it appears the project is getting closer to its final design, and it’s likely that it could appear before Council for preliminary approval in the coming months. Based on this, the project is likely to begin construction sometime in 2019.

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 new 6-storey condo project first reported on back in February 2017, is gearing up to begin construction in the coming months. Called ‘Fraser Landmark’, the project will bring 121 ‘luxury’ condominiums and townhomes to the corner of Fraser Hwy and 140 St, directly across from Green Timbers Park at the south-east edge of City Centre.

Registration for the project is now open to potential buyers, with sales expected to launch on May 26, and construction to begin as early as August. The building, designed by DF Architecture, will help to create an urban streetscape through its sidewalk-oriented townhomes, and 6-storey height, replacing a vacant treed lot that exists today. The building will also be just steps from a future LRT station to be located at the same intersection, along the future Surrey-Langley LRT line.

Completion of the project is expected by December 2019.

Rendering of Fraser Landmark at the south-east edge of City Centre Site location at the south-east edge of City Centre Proposed ‘Gateway’ tower site on King George Blvd at Bolivar Rd

A controversial proposal for a ‘gateway’ development on King George Blvd at Bolivar Rd at the north end of City Centre received conditional Council support on Monday in concept for its proposed density, but at the same time, was referred back to City staff for further refinement work with the applicant. The developer, an off-shore investor group known as ‘New Great Land Developing’, is proposing to amend both the Official Community Plan (OCP) and City Centre Plan to allow for:

• One 24-storey residential tower above a 7-storey podium
• One 24-storey residential tower above a 6-storey podium
• One 22-storey residential tower above a 6-storey podium
• Two stand-alone 6-storey residential buildings

The site’s current OCP designation of ‘Multiple Residential’ is proposed to be amended to ‘Central Business District’, while site’s City Centre Plan designation of ‘Residential Low to Mid Rise (2.5 FAR)’ is proposed to be amended to ‘Residential Mid to High Rise (3.5 – 5.5 FAR)’

Proposed development looking south towards existing City Centre Proposed development looking south towards future built-out City Centre

In the Planning Report to Council, City staff gave 3 recommendation options to Council on how to proceed. They included:

Option A:

Refer the application back to staff to work with the applicant to develop the subject site in accordance with the “Low to Mid Rise Residential up to 2.5 FAR” designation in the City Centre Plan.

Option B:

Refer the application back to staff to work with the applicant to develop the subject site with a form of development that achieves a 6-storey form along King George Boulevard, a mid-rise (maximum 10-storey) form in the middle of the site, and a 4-5 storey form adjacent to the existing single family residential lots to the northeast of the subject site.

Option C:

Refer the application back to staff to continue to process the application at the density proposed (4.5 FAR), with the consideration of the provision of a significant amenity contribution above and beyond the required City Centre Amenity Charges and City Centre specific Development Cost Charges, which can be allocated towards amenity needs in the City Centre Plan area.

Proposed site plan with unique angular floor plates and substantial green roofs

Council gives conditional support for increased density

Despite Staff’s recommendation that Council choose option A, which would comply with the site’s OCP and City Centre Plan designations of ‘Low to Mid Rise Residential up to 2.5 FAR’ – Council voted in-favour of Option C, supporting the applicant’s proposal for amendments to the OCP and City Centre Plan for an increase in density to 4.5 FAR, on the condition of provision of a significant amenity contribution.

A presentation by the applicant’s representative and project architect – Musson Cattell Mackey (MCM) Partnership – argued for the higher density based on the site’s location at the northern ‘Gateway’ to City Centre, proximity to rapid transit, and the fact that 5.5 FAR is already permitted directly to south of the site across King George Blvd. Council agreed that such density would also be appropriate for this site given this context, and would help form a gateway straddling both sides of King George Blvd.

Subject Site at the north end of the City Centre Plan area (Orange = Low to Mid Rise, Purple = High Rise)

Despite the unique design of the towers as proposed, another condition of Council was that the project undergo further design revision to achieve an even more iconic look, suitable for a ‘gateway’ location, if the increase in density is to be allowed. When the project returns to Council at a later date, its possible that we could see a new design all together, or a just a refinement of what is currently proposed.

For more on the proposal:

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

Rendering of Georgetown phase 1 and future phases

The first phase of Anthem Properties ‘Georgetown’ development at Whalley Blvd & 102 Ave is heading to Council on Monday for 1st & 2nd readings. The application is seeking Rezoning and Development Permit to allow for a single 30-storey residential tower above a 2-storey podium containing retail and townhouses. The tower will replace an existing A&W restaurant on that corner, and is the first of 7 towers to come as part of a master plan to redevelop the entire site which also contains a Save-On-Foods and Canadian Tire. In total, phase 1 will include 351 residential units, including 9 two-storey townhouses, above 15,435 sq.ft. of ground floor commercial space.

Architectural Design

The Chris Dikeakos Architects designed tower is shaped by its rounded/curved floor plate reflecting the curved nature of Whalley Blvd. Materials will include a glass curtain wall and high quality white metal panels on the podium, glass balconies wrapping the tower, and interspersed spandrel and white painted concrete. A graphic art illustration is contemplated for the glass at the street level. The rooftop mechanical enclosure will be screened by frosted glass, reflecting the rounded geometry of the tower, and be backlit – creating a lighting feature for the crown of the tower.

View from Whalley Blvd looking south-west View from future 102A Ave through site at corner of new Green Lane showing retail podium with townhouses above. View from corner of Whalley Blvd and future 102A Ave through site of retail podium with townhouses above.

Outdoor Amenity Space

A highlight of Phase 1 is the proposed outdoor amenity space to be located on the podium roof. Measuring 22,675 sq. ft., the outdoor amenity to be provided is double the minimum requirement under the sites zoning, and will feature: a sun deck, outdoor fitness and activity space, an outdoor theatre with covered seating area, a great lawn with outdoor lounge area, an outdoor dining room, a dog play area, and a walking/running circuit.

Phase 1 site plan showing expansive outdoor amenity space above the buildings podium

Road Dedications

In addition to the tower and retail podium, phase 1 will also dedicate and construct a new section of 102A Ave through the site, as well as a new north-south green lane to the west of the building. Additional road dedications will be taken along Whalley Blvd and 102 Ave for the widening of each of those streets to a full municipal collector road standard. New grade separated bike lanes will also be created along 102 Ave, Whalley Blvd, and 102A Ave.

Georgetown Master Plan

The ultimate master plan for Georgetown is to subdivide the entire property into 7 lots to allow for a mixed-use, multiple residential and commercial community to be completed over 7 phases. Designed by Vancouver-based CIVITAS Urban Design & Planning, Georgetown will consist of multiple buildings ranging from 6 to 45-storeys, with ground floor commercial space, and a significant public plaza located centrally within the site:

Phase 1: a 30-storey residential high-rise with ground floor commercial
Phase 2: a 32-storey and a 31-storey residential high-rise with ground floor commercial
Phase 3: a 6-storey residential building with ground floor commercial space centred on a large public plaza
Phase 4: a 41-storey residential high-rise
Phase 5: a 39-storey residential high-rise with office space
Phase 6: a 45-storey residential high-rise with office space
Phase 7: a 15-storey mid-rise residential building with ground floor commercial space.

Georgetown Phasing Plan Master Plan for Georgetown Site

While no timeline is given for the ultimate build-out of the plan, Phase 1 on the south-west corner of the site is expected to begin construction in 2019. This will allow for the existing Save-on-Foods and Canadian Tire to remain in operation on the northern portion of the site in the interim until future phases are developed.

Ground level site plan for Phase 1 showing retail / restaurant units Level 2 site plan for Phase 1 showing rooftop outdoor amenity, townhouses, and tower

For more on Georgetown: https://anthemproperties.com/properties/surrey-city-centre/

Surrey Planning Report: http://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/PLR_7916-0448-00.pdf

The City of Surrey began a series of 3 open houses on Thursday for Phase 1 of the upcoming Surrey LRT project. This latest public engagement is the 3rd round of open houses on Phase 1 the project, providing refined plans based on public input from previous consultations. Presented at the open house were preliminary station designs, road designs, information on construction planning, environmental and socio-economic study results, and more. A full set of the Open House Boards can be found here.

Station Designs

Overall, stations are designed to be highly visible, well-lit, and well integrated into the community – accessible by well-marked pedestrian crossings providing universal accessibility for all riders. Lengthy platform shelters protect riders from weather, and include space for ATM’s, information boards, seating, and more – while maintaining a clear line of sight to the street and approaching trains. Stations will in most cases be located in the centre median of the street, with the exception of King George, Surrey Central and Newton Town Centre – where they will be plaza oriented, or off to the side. Public art will also be integrated into stations along the route.

Roadway Design

LRT will run on its own dedicated track for the entirety of the line, with the exception of City Parkway where it will be integrated into a pedestrian plaza. Placement of the LRT track will vary – typically located in the centre median for most of the route, but off to the side in some sections.

Roadway design for 104 Avenue will consist of LRT in the centre median, and 1 traffic lane in each direction, widening to include an additional turning lane at major intersections. The 104 Avenue design will also provide upgraded and enhanced sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, and connections to stations. Currently 104 Avenue functions as a non-pedestrian friendly, busy arterial for cars. A re-purposed 104 Avenue with LRT will transform the street into a calmed, pedestrianized and transit-oriented corridor, supported by multi-family housing and streetfront shops along the route. The newly widened 100 Avenue and existing 108th Avenue corridors will become the new car-prioritized east-west routes between City Centre and Guildford while 104 Avenue will be the pedestrian/transit prioritized corridor.

Roadway design for King George Blvd will retain 2 traffic lanes in each direction while allowing for LRT in the median for the majority of the route. Sections of King George in City Centre will see LRT routed off to one side. New separated bike lanes, enhanced sidewalks, and pedestrian crossings will also be a key component of the re-designed King George.

Pedestrianized Plazas at Surrey Central & King George Stations

Taking inspiration from leading cities around the world, Surrey Central and King George Stations in City Centre are designed to be integrated into new pedestrianized public plazas. These plazas will help to create vibrant transfer points between LRT and SkyTrain’s expo line, similar to plaza’s found throughout Europe with multi-modal rail connections running through them. 

Socio-Economic Study: Improved Travel Times

A key finding of the socio-economic study released at the open house, was the improvement in travel times that LRT will offer over the existing 96 B-Line bus service, as well as private automobile. Under Section 7.2 of the study it was found that the existing 96 B-Line service between Guilford-Newton currently takes 29 minutes under ideal conditions. During periods of congestion however, this trip can take longer than 50 minutes. Further, this travel time is expected to worsen as population grows. LRT is able to cut this travel time by up to half, taking a consistent 27-minutes every time, on opening day, and a decade later, due to its dedicated track. In addition to this, LRT offers faster service and improved experience due to:

• More doors for boarding, significantly reducing stop times at stations, and travel times overall.
• Nearly twice as frequent peak service as the existing 96 B-Line peak bus service.
• A smoother, more comfortable ride than B-Line bus, with less stop and go.

96 B-Line subject to traffic congestion – travel times between Guildford and Newton up to 50 mins during peak hours.

Integration with the Community

One of the key benefits of LRT is its integration with the community and streetscape compared to SkyTrain. While SkyTrain serves well as a long distance commuter rail service, LRT is better suited to more localized routes in the region – similar to other cities where there are various tiers of rail transit making up the regional transit network.  Not every line in a city needs to be the same type of rail transit – LRT, Subway, and Commuter Rail are often combined to compliment each other and serve different needs. The introduction of LRT to Metro Vancouver represents a maturing of our rail transit network into a multi-modal system, and it is very likely we will see LRT implemented elsewhere in the region following Surrey.

In Surrey, the 104 Avenue and King George Highway corridors that make up the ‘L’ line are much better suited to urban-style LRT than SkyTrain. Not only is this route more localized than regionally serving, but SkyTrain just doesn’t make sense from a cost perspective, and the impacts that such guideways would have on the streetscapes. Looking at a comparison between SkyTrain guideways in Richmond City Centre and Coquitlam City Centre, it is clear to see how much better LRT integrates with the streetscape and community it passes through, rather than bisecting it with an obtrusive, shadowing, and noisy concrete structure. LRT can transform a streetscape into an inviting, pedestrian friendly, vibrant urban environment – whereas SkyTrain does the opposite. 

Impact of SkyTrain guideways on the urban environment/streetscape vs urban-style LRT

For more on Surrey LRT:

https://surreylightrail.ca

On Friday, an article was published in the Globe & Mail by urban politics and issues writer Frances Bula titled ‘Surrey’s vision for the future is slow in coming‘, shining a spotlight on the city centre’s transformation, that has indeed been slow in coming. Up until now.

A Brief History of Surrey City Centre – 1991-2005

The vision for Surrey’s City Centre is nothing new. The first City Centre Plan was completed back in 1991, and was only just recently updated as of January this year after a lengthy 10-year review beginning in 2006. Looking back at how the city centre has developed since that initial plan’s adoption, it’s clear to see that development through much of the 1990s and 2000’s had been sparse and slow to materialize, sparking the need for a renewed vision to move the city centre forward. Aside from an initial spike in development between 1994-1995, when SkyTrain was first extended to the area, and a total of 7 high-rise towers were completed within a short time span, the decade that followed was markedly different.

Intrawest/Intracorp initially had a master plan for a community around Gateway Station in the early 1990’s which was to include a total of 5 high-rise office towers, and 11 high-rise residential towers. 3 of these residential towers and 1 of the office towers were completed in the 1994-1995 boom, including the 18-Storey signature Station Tower. Following this initial spike, the remaining lands sat vacant for over a decade, until 3 of the initially slated high-rise residential sites were eventually developed as 4-storey condo buildings between 2008-2011. Intrawest/Intracorp has since sold of the remainder of their lands to other developers, with the initial master plan never coming to fruition.

Another 90’s master planned community which was to see a number of towers developed around King George Station saw only 1 tower built in 1994, with the remaining lands sitting vacant for over a decade as well, until eventually being bought and developed in the mid-2000’s – first as Infinity, then later evolving into Concord Pacific’s Park Place.

Completion 1991-1995:

• 1994: Cornerstone 1 & 2 (Gateway) | 18 & 21-storey condo towers
• 1994: Station Tower | 18-storey office tower
• 1994: Odyssey Tower | 21-storey condo tower
• 1994: Balmoral Tower | 15-storey condo tower
• 1995: Grandview Court | 16-storey condo tower
• 1995: Observatory (Gateway) | 22-storey condo tower

In the decade between 1996 and 2005, development in Surrey City Centre was indeed so slow that only 1 tower was built – the city’s iconic, Bing Thom designed, Central City office tower, completed in 2003 as part of a massive redevelopment of former Surrey Place Mall by ICBC into a re-branded shopping centre, TechBC (later SFU) university, and office tower.

Completion 1996-2005:

• 2003: Central City – 26-storey office tower, university, retail

Surrey City Centre’s Turning Point – 2006-2015

Following a decade of very little development activity which saw only 1 tower built between 1996 and 2005, a total of 4 new high-rise towers were built in Surrey City Centre between 2006 – 2010.

Completion 2006-2010:

• 2006: Infinity (now Concord Park Place) | 36-storey condo tower
• 2009: D’Corize | 22-storey condo tower
• 2009: City Point | 21 and 25-storey condo towers with retail

In the 5 years that followed, development activity grew more. A total of 6 high/mid-rise towers were completed between 2011-2015, along side the new Surrey City Hall, the Bing Thom designed City Centre Library, and Surrey’s new civic plaza which will see future expansion.

Completion 2011-2015:

• 2011: Park Place | 2 x 36-storey condo towers
• 2011: Surrey City Centre Library
• 2013: Ultra | 35-storey condo tower
• 2013: Surrey City Hall
• 2014: City Centre 1 | 12-storey office tower
• 2014: Coast Capital headquarters | 9-storey office tower
• 2015: Wave | 28-storey condo tower

In total, the 10-year period between 2006 to 2015 saw more development activity in Surrey City Centre than the previous 15 years combined, along with a new civic heart. Following a period of very little growth between 1996 and 2005, a sure sign that the tide may be changing.

2016 and onward

Since the relocation of Surrey City Hall to the city centre in 2013, and the opening of Civic Plaza, investment in the area has markedly picked up, with a long list of active development applications now in process at the city. Following a relatively strong decade of growth between 2006 and 2015, in 2016, Surrey City Centre was showing signs of coming to fruition, and ripe for the adoption of the new Surrey City Centre Plan. In the past year, 2 towers have been completed, with 4 more scheduled for completion in 2017, and an additional 4 scheduled for completion in 2018. In 2017, this will include the iconic new 52-storey 3 Civic Plaza, Mixed-Use (Hotel, Office, Condo, University, Retail), which is already re-defining and transforming the city centre’s core and image. In total the 2016-2020 period will see a total of 12 significant buildings completed, up from 8 in the previous 5 years.

Completion 2016-2020:

• 2016: University District (Phase 1) | Condo, Office, Retail | 32 Floors
• 2016: Park Avenue East | Condo | 36 Floors
• 2017: Park Avenue West | Condo | 39 Floors
• 2017: 3 Civic Plaza | Condo, Hotel, University, Retail |52 Floors
• 2017: Bosa’s Gateway Place |Office, Retail | 5 Floors
• 2018: Prime on the Plaza | Condo, Retail | 37 Floors
• 2018: Evolve | Condo, Office, Retail | 36 Floors
• 2018: City Centre 2 | Office, Retail | 12 Floors
• 2018: SFU Sustainable Energy / Engineering Building | 5 Floors
• 2019 (estimated): Innovation village | Care Facility, Office, Seniors | 12 Floors
• 2020 (estimated): Concord Park Boulevard | Condo | 42 Floors
• 2020 (estimated): West Village Phase 5 | Rental, Office, Retail | 44 Floors

Looking ahead to 2021 and beyond, it is clear to see that the pace of growth in Surrey City Centre is only set to intensify if the number of approved and active development applications are any indication. In total, aside from buildings now under construction and scheduled for completion by 2020, beyond this there are 47 additional towers under active application or known to be in the planning stages in Surrey City Centre. While the timeline for completion of many of these towers is uncertain based on market conditions, it is likely that many will see completion within the next decade, given Surrey’s strong population growth, doubling Vancouver in growth between 2011-2016. While much of this growth has been concentrated in newer developing areas of the city such as South Surrey, South Newton, and Cloverdale, it is reasonable to assume that Surrey City Centre will start to take on a greater share of future growth as it reaches a critical threshold of density (which it appears to be now), and its subsequent image and desiraiblity improves. Combine this with the affordability crisis north of the fraser, and the comparable price of condos, Surrey City Centre begins to become more and more attractive.

With this direction that Surrey City Centre is heading, already a number of major developers in the region have significant land holdings in the area, including projects completed, under application, or in the planning stages.

Completion beyond 2021 (Proposed and under application):

• GEC Education Mega Centre | Student Housing, Hotel, Institutional | 50 Floors
• University District (Phase 2) | Condo, Office, Retail | 26 + 32 Floors
  
• Hub at King George | Condo, Office, Retail | 12 + 20 + 32 + 38 + 39 + 42 Floors
• Wynd |Condo | 28 Floors
• City Centre 3 | Office | 8 Floors
• 13778 100 Ave | Condo | 20 + 46 Floors
• Tien Sher 108 Ave & King George |Condo, Retail | 6 + 35 + 37 + 46 Floors
• Old Yale & 133 St | Condo | 22 Floors
• Seagate Gateway | Condo | 30 + 37 Floors
• Holland Point | Condo, Office Retail | 30 + 36 + 41 Floors  
• 98th & King George | Condo, Hotel | 30 Floors
• 9677 King George | Care Facility, Office | 18 Floors
• Anthem Properties | Condo, Office, Retail | 7 Towers
• 133 St & 103A Ave | Condo | 18 Floors
• West Village Phase 6-8 | Condo, Office, Retail | 37 + 38 + 42 Floors
• City Centre YMCA
• Bosa University District (Future Phases) | Condo, Retail | 5 Towers
• Bosa Gateway Place (Phase 2-3) | Condo | 2 Towers
• Veterans Village / Whalley Legion | Care Facility, Office | 20 Floors
• SFU Expansion (Phases 2-3)

This list will of course continue to grow as new applications are submitted.

For an active list and map of Surrey City Centre projects, see the UrbanSurrey Active Projects Page

Updated May 10, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

View from 103 Avenue looking east

View from City Parkway looking south

New City Parkway entrance

View looking north along City Parkway

For more on the project:

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

The November Issue of the City Centre Update is now available at SurreyCityCentre.ca. This month’s newsletter includes a round-up of general updates, new development applications, and construction activity during the past month. For a full list of all active projects – check out the Active Projects Page.

New Development Applications

As of November 2021, there are 30 major development applications under initial review in Surrey City Centre, representing 30 high-rise and 17 low-rise buildings.

New development applications over the past month include:

21 – 0311 | Fraser Hwy & Whalley Blvd

A Rezoning, Subdivision, OCP / City Centre Plan Amendment, and Development Permit application has been submitted by KGS Holdings for a 38-storey residential tower just to the south of King George Hub at Fraser Hwy & Whalley Blvd. The application is proposing to consolidate 3 existing single family lots as well as dedicate new roadway for the eventual extension of Whalley Blvd south of Fraser Hwy.

21 – 0313 | 102 Ave & King George Blvd

A Rezoning, OCP / City Centre Plan Amendment, and Development Permit application has been submitted by Chris Dikeakos Architects for a 49-storey residential tower above an 8-storey office podium with ground floor retail at the north-west corner of 102 Ave & King George Blvd. The project would replace an existing 1-storey strip mall and surface parking lot with 739 residential units and 223,545 SF of office space. The project will also dedicate land along the north side of the site for a new portion of 102A Ave, as well as land along the west side of the site for a new urban green lane.

Council Approvals

As of November 2021, there are 36 major development applications approved in Surrey City Centre, representing 38 high-rise and 31 low-rise buildings. There was just 1 Surrey City Council meeting over the past month, with no new approvals.

Construction

As of November 2021, there are 18 major projects under construction in Surrey City Centre, representing 17 high-rise and 7 low-rise buildings. The past month saw 1 new project begin construction – the Grand – A 46-storey residential tower above a 5-storey office & retail podium on King George Blvd at 107 Ave.

New Construction

The Grand (46-Storey Residential, Office, Retail) – Excavation now underway

Continued Construction

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