THE City of Surrey on Tuesday launched a public engagement campaign to gather input from residents and businesses on an update to the City Centre Plan.
In the next 25 years, City Centre’s population is expected to grow to around 85,000 residents. By 2045, the emerging downtown Surrey will be the business and cultural centre of British Columbia’s most populous municipality.
“City Centre is undergoing a significant and dynamic transformation,” said Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum. “Development is accelerating at a rapid pace, transit is expanding, and the region’s centre of gravity is continuing to shift east to Surrey. This area will not only be a centre for business and culture, but also a vibrant, accessible, and complete community for many new residents for many years to come.”
Once a regional suburb, City Centre has been the focus of significant residential and commercial development. To address the changing conditions, the City Centre Plan update will:
- establish a Central Business District to support office and institutional development, and distinguish downtown Surrey from other regional centres,
- refine plans around a new SkyTrain station at 140 Street,
- update land uses in the Bolivar Heights neighbourhood, and
- update the community benefits strategy within the plan to support additional parks, recreation, and cultural facilities.
“A healthy, vibrant and dynamic downtown Surrey is vital to the economic wellbeing of Surrey, and the region,” said McCallum. “We want to hear from Surrey residents and the business community on where we should focus growth, what amenities are most needed and how the plan can shape the future of downtown Surrey.”
To learn more about the project and take a survey, visit engage.surrey.ca/city-centre-plan.
