New waterfront entertainment district in Surrey, B.C., could be gateway to city, supporters say

The City of Surrey is undertaking a feasibility study on a new waterfront entertainment district near the entrance to the city by the Pattullo Bridge. 

Currently, a small area near the bridge linking Surrey and New Westminster, B.C., has two city parks, a trailer park, and industrial areas — with landowners that include the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and CN Rail.

A city staff report asked for a consultant to look at the feasibility of a waterfront entertainment district there, including restaurants, shops, park and plaza areas "to create a memorable gateway into Surrey." It passed council last Monday.

Proponents of the plan say the waterfront district would be fitting for the rapidly growing city, B.C.'s second-largest by population, which is set to outpace Vancouver in population over the next decade.

"Surrey will soon be the biggest city in British Columbia ... and we don't have any really iconic place for people to go and to, you know, spend their leisure time, and this will be that," said Coun. Linda Annis.

Annis said the feasibility study would look to speak to all the stakeholders involved, including residents of the RV park and the federal and provincial governments, but called the proposal "great news for the City of Surrey."

A city spokesperson says the comprehensive feasibility study would look to properly define the geographic area of the waterfront district, and is expected to be complete next year.

"Surrey has some great parks and public spaces," the spokesperson wrote.

"A waterfront district could complement these existing amenities with a landmark type waterfront destination that could blend with active industry such as Granville Island or North Vancouver Shipyards, creating a more memorable gateway into Surrey from across the Fraser River."

Plan could face opposition

The plan could face opposition, with the port authority indicating in the staff report that it would prefer land adjacent to the port to be designated for industrial use only.

In addition, hundreds of people live at the trailer park within the study area, which is close to the Scott Road SkyTrain station and between Brownsville Bar and Tannery parks.

The city spokesperson said that the trailer park site was currently zoned for tourist accommodation, and any changes would require rezoning on the part of the landowner.

It said the public would have an opportunity to weigh in on any rezoning of the site at council, and residents there may have rights under the provincial Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act when it comes to tenant compensation.

Andy Yan, director of Simon Fraser University's City Program, said that Surrey was a city that could afford to have several more public spaces, and the proposal spoke to the "urban ambitions" of the city's residents and council.

However, he cautioned that there were already issues in the area regarding flooding and said it was important for the city to engage with residents before proceeding.

"With the latest provincial guidelines, there are some sizeable, I think, challenges towards ... developing infrastructure, developing a road network that is, I think, really meant to move the amount of people that would not be possible now," he said. 

"And then, of course ... water and sewage and servicing for the area that is currently really largely industrial and [an] undeveloped part of the City of Surrey."