MacDonald Development / Reliance Properties’ Prime on The Plaza has begun its rise over the past few weeks. As of February 23, the retail / townhouse podium of the building had reached 2 storeys, and is now starting to transform the streetscape along University Drive. The podium, which will contain retail fronting University Drive, and townhouse units fronting 103 Ave, will soon rise to a height of 4 storeys before transitioning to the tower portion of the building, which will then rise to 37 storeys. When complete, the building will anchor a newly created corner intersection at future 103 Avenue and University Drive. It will also directly abut the future SFU Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering building, currently under construction to the south.

http://www.liveprime.ca/en/

Anthem Properties has revealed a sneak peak of their upcoming Surrey City Centre project at King George Blvd and 102 Avenue. Since submitting a Development Application back in October 2016, a conceptual rendering has since been posted on the Anthem Properties project page, along with a proposed site plan. Details at this time are limited, but what is known is:

• The project is described as a 1,500,000 sq.ft. master planned community with a total of 7 residential towers above newly created retail and office spaces.
• The current parcel will broken up into 7 new sites, containing a mix of commercial retail, office, and residential uses, with a residential tower on each site.
• 2 new east-west streets will be introduced (102A Ave and 103 Ave), 1 new north-south street (136A St), and 1 new north-south ‘urban green lane’.
• The project is consistent with the City Centre Plan for this area

Conceptual Rendering of future 102A Avenue through site

Proposed site plan: https://anthemproperties.com/content/site_plans/0244_SitePlan.pdf

Existing site containing a Save-On-Foods, Canadian Tire, and A&W

From the conceptual rendering and site plan released, it’s apparent that:

• There will be a central plaza at the heart of the development with a public art installation and a full-service restaurant with patio space fronting onto the plaza.
• Townhouses will be located towards the north of the site.
• Commercial retail units will be located at ground level throughout the development.
• An office entrance is shown fronting King George Blvd indicating office uses may be concentrated on upper levels fronting KGB.

Curiously, some brand placement has been shown on the early rendering, including Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo. It is unclear at this time whether this is purely aspirational placement, or if Anthem is eyeing these particular tenants for the development. Uniqlo recently entered the Canadian market in 2016 with 2 stores in Toronto. It is expected that they will also enter the Vancouver market within the next few years, timing right with Anthem’s Surrey City Centre development.

Development Phasing

While the timeline of the project is unclear, it is clear that the project will be developed in phases, likely corresponding with the sites shown on the plan, beginning with Site 1.

Site 1, which is currently under application with the City, is located at the bottom of the property near the corner of 102 Ave and Whalley Blvd. It appears that this site will contain a 30-storey residential tower, ground-level retail, and what looks to be big-box type retail on the 2nd or 3rd floors. Details on the plan indicate the possibly of this being a grocery store, possibly a relocated Save-On-Foods from its existing location to the north on the property.

It is expected that the project could appear before council sometime later this year.

Surrey City Centre on February 7, 2017

Census data released today by Statistics Canada has revealed that Surrey’s population has surpassed 500,000. As of May 2016 last year, the population of Surrey was 517,887, an increase from 468,251 in 2011 representing a growth rate of 10.6%, outpacing the national average, British Columbia, the City of Vancouver, and the Vancouver CMA.

In comparison, between 2011 and 2016:

• Canada as a whole grew by 5.0%
• British Columbia grew by 5.6%
• City of Vancouver grew by 4.6%
• Vancouver Census Metropolitan Area (CMA): 6.5%

The only Vancouver CMA municipality to grow faster than Surrey was the Township of Langley which grew at a rapid 12.6%. As a whole, the Vancouver CMA grew to 2,463,431.

With Surrey adding an average of 1,000 new residents per month, as of February 2017, the population of Surrey can be estimated to have already increased further to 525,000. It is expected that Surrey will surpass Vancouver in population to become the largest city in BC by 2030.

Looking at growth by Census Tract, the areas of Surrey growing the fastest were in the south and east, in places such as Grandview Heights, Sunnyside Heights, South Newton, and Clayton. There was also noticeably strong growth in Surrey City Centre as a result of new condo developments in recent years, with one Census Tract east of King George Blvd and south of 104th Avenue growing by 33%. This growth in City Centre will likely increase even more by the 2021 Census, with more new condo developments expected to be completed within City Centre in the next 5 years than in the previous 5 years.

Developable land and affordability in comparison to Vancouver can both be seen as driving factors in Surrey’s strong growth.

Growth rate by Census Tract in Metro Vancouver

Growth rate by Census Tract in North Surrey – Area east of King George Blvd and south of 104th Ave grew by 33%.

https://censusmapper.ca/maps/583#11/49.2613/-123.1145

Looking at growth in absolute numbers. Surrey outpaced every municipality within Metro Vancouver by a large margin, adding a total of 49,636 residents between 2011 and 2016. Vancouver came in second adding 27,984 new residents.

Population Growth of Metro Vancouver cities 2011-2016

	2016	2011	Total Growth
Metropolitan Vancouver	2,463,431	2,313,328	150,103
Surrey	517,887	468,251	49,636
City of Vancouver	631,486	603,502	27,984
Langley	117,285	104,177	13,108
Coquitlam	139,284	126,804	12,480
Burnaby	232,755	223,218	9,537
Richmond	198,309	190,473	7,836
Maple Ridge	82,256	76,052	6,204
New Westminster	70,996	65,976	5,020
North Vancouver	52,898	48,196	4,702
Port Coquitlam	58,612	55,958	2,654
Delta	102,238	99,863	2,375
North Vancouver	85,935	84,412	1,523
Pitt Meadows	18,573	17,736	837
Langley	25,888	25,081	807
White Rock	19,952	19,339	613
Port Moody	33,551	33,011	540
West Vancouver	42,473	42,694	-221

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

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

For more:

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

A proposed new 6-storey residential development at the corner of Fraser Hwy and 140th St is heading to Council on Monday for 1st & 2nd reading. The 121-unit building, designed by Richmond-based DF Architecture features condos above a 2-storey townhouse base with private staircase/patio entrances fronting directly onto 140th St and Fraser Hwy to create an urban, pedestrian-oriented streetscape.

Situated in the south-east corner of City Centre within the West Green Timbers neighbourhood, the proposed building is consistent with the City Centre Plan for this area, which is primarily designated for 4-6-storey multiple residential buildings. The future Fraser Hwy LRT line connecting Surrey City Centre to Langley will eventually provide rapid transit access directly outside the building with a future station to be located on the same corner of 140th & Fraser Hwy. Green Timbers Park is located directly to the east of the site.

BOSA Properties’ Gateway Place is nearing completion at 108 Ave & City Parkway near Gateway Skytrain Station. The 5-storey office and retail building which began construction back in 2015 was originally scheduled for completion in Summer 2016, but with slow-pace of construction, is now more on track for a Summer 2017 completion. When finished, the building will house 4 levels of office over ground floor retail, with a Nesters Market, Shoppers Drug Mart, and TD Bank already signed on as tenants.

Designed by IBI Group Architects, the building will bring an improved urban streetscape to the area, with high quality landscape design and materials to be included as part of the sidewalk along City Parkway. The building will also feature a living green wall along its western side facing Station Tower and the SkyTrain. The building is Phase A of a 3-Phase development which will see 2 high-rise residential towers constructed directly north of the retail podium along City Parkway as future Phases B and C.

Construction Progress: February 2, 2017

Project Renderings

A new 6-storey low-rise condominium project being marketed as ‘La Voda Living’ is set to transform the corner of 132 St and King George Blvd in 2017. Set to enter into sales later this month, and begin construction later this year, the project will bring much welcomed infill to a long-standing vacant lot that is highly visible from the SkyTrain as one enters Surrey City Centre.

The building, designed by Surrey-based Barnett Dembek Architects, will help to create a more urban streetscape and add density to the area. It will also feature rooftop amenity space for residents, which may be visible from the SkyTrain, and provide exceptional views of the North Shore mountains and Fraser River.

For more info:

https://www.buzzbuzzhome.com/ca/la-voda

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

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

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

Guest business centre in lobby

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

Entrance to Dominion Bar + Kitchen from hotel lobby

The crane is now in the process of being removed from Bosa Properties’ Alumni Tower project in Surrey City Centre. Alumni Tower is the first of 8 towers planned as part of Bosa’s University District development along 104 Avenue between University Drive and King George Blvd. At 36 stories, it will contain 310 condo units, along with retail and office space. Completion is scheduled for Fall 2016.

For more on University District:
http://ud.bosaproperties.com

Photos by UrbanSurrey – June 6, 2016

The next phase of Concord Pacific’s ‘Park’ community near King George Station is moving forward to Council on June 11 seeking approvals to develop a pair of 35 & 39 storey towers at 13778 100 Avenue. Located just to the east of their recently completed ‘Park Avenue’ towers, this latest, so-far unnamed project, will be the 4th phase of Concord’s ‘Park’ community following Park Place, Park Avenue, and the now under construction Park Boulevard. The 2 new towers will bring the total number of Concord towers in the community to 8. The ‘Park’ name refers to the community’s setting surrounding Quibble Creek Park.

From the Planning Report to Council, Concord is proposing to subdivide the site into 2 lots – the north lot to contain the 2-tower project, and the south lot to be conveyed to the City as an addition to Quibble Creek Park. The northern-most tower fronting 100 Avenue will be 35-storeys (348 ft), while the southern tower will be 39-storeys (377 ft.), containing a total of 676 units, above a 2-storey podium consisting of indoor and outdoor amenity space, as well as 7 ground-oriented townhouse units fronting 100 Avenue.

As for design – the towers feature balconies that vary in size, shape, and materials, to create visual interest. Vertical blue strips run down the towers fading from dark to light blue – referencing a waterfall. Other references to water include blue paving patterns containing in-ground lights and glass bricks within the pedestrian walkways leading from Quibble Creek Park to a water feature in the centre of a plaza. This water feature serves as a focal point that can be seen from the 100 Avenue entrance, the tower lobby, and greenway to the east.

The two towers will connect and integrate with Quibble Creek Park to the south, as well as the Park Avenue towers to the west through an expanded greenway / path system. A generous sized lawn along the greenway will be provided as flex space for residents. Large planting areas with naturalistic character will help to integrate the greenway into the naturalized landscape of Quibble Creek Park.

In addition to the project’s access to and integration with its natural park setting, other outdoor amenities to be provided on the podium’s roof include a sunbathing deck, outdoor yoga area, children’s play area and putting green. Indoor amenities include a gym, study and meeting room, pilates and exercise room, indoor pool, hot tub, steam room and sauna, change rooms, and table tennis.

The fast moving SFU Surrey expansion project, which began excavation just 2 months ago, has now installed its crane. The 5-storey, Bing Thom Architects designed Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering Building project is proceeding at a rampant pace to meet an April 2018 deadline for substantial completion. As of now, the north end of the site adjacent to the under construction Prime development is nearly completely dug, with just the south end remaining to be dug before construction can commence on the underground levels of the building.

Today’s installation adds to the growing number of cranes in Surrey City Centre, which now has a total of 7 cranes, with 1 more likely on the way within the next month. The presence of this many cranes represents the largest construction boom ever experienced in the City Centre, and a sign that momentum is picking up for development in the area. The next 5-10 years are likely to bring more transformation to the area than its seen in its entire history.

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

The City of Surrey has been invited to participate at this year’s Les Marché International des Professionels de l’immoblier (MIPIM) – taking place March 13-16 in Cannes, France. Surrey is the only Western Canadian city participating at the conference – but will be joined by Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton, and the Niagara Region who will also have a presence.

MIPIM is one of the largest and most prestigious real estate conferences in the world. It has been the international stage where Toronto’s Waterfront Project and Montreal’s Downtown Arts & Entertainment District have been profiled and attracted investment. It is also where Bing Thom Architects’ won a Special Jury Award in 2004 for the Central City building – as the world’s best overall new development for its architecture and building innovation.

At this year’s MIPIM, Mayor Linda Hepner has been personally invited to speak on behalf of Surrey in a panel discussion on the topic of City as a Service, the New Urban Reality, as well as participate at a number of related events at the conference. Being invited to participate at MIPIM is an indication of Surrey’s emerging recognition as an internationally relevant city for future growth and investment.

With more than 24,000 real estate investors from over 100 countries in attendance, MIPIM provides a unique platform for promoting Surrey globally as a place to invest, which can help to accelerate the city’s transformation. In addition to Mayor Hepner’s participation at the event, Invest Surrey & Partners will be showcasing Surrey as North America’s ‘Next Metropolitan Centre’ through a presentation centre to be located in the exhibition area of the main venue. Blackwood Partners, the owners of Central City, will also be attending to promote and attract investment in their upcoming ‘Central City 2’ office tower project.

Invest Surrey & Partner’s presentation centre at MIPIM 2018

For more on Surrey’s invitation to MIPIM:

http://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/CR_2018-R023.pdf

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

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

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

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

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