Future tower in Surrey City Centre sets aside space for TransLink bus parking lot

Jul 28 2022, 11:29 pm

A City-owned surface public pay parking lot just behind Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) Sustainable Energy Engineering Building will be developed into a residential tower and a new TransLink bus layover facility serving Surrey City Centre.

According to a City of Surrey staff report, there will be a land sale and exchange agreement between the municipal government and developer ML Emporio Properties, with both landowners exchanging parcels of the site at the northeast corner of the intersection of 102A Avenue and 113A Avenue.

The land swap will result in a residential development parcel on the west side of the site, and a City-owned bus layover facility parcel on the east side — wedged between the future development and the SFU building. There will also be some replacement public pay parking situated underground.

13387-13381 102A Avenue Surrey tower f2

Site of 13381 102A Avenue, Surrey. (Google Maps)

10262 133a Street Surrey Bus Layover Facility

Site of 13381 102A Avenue, Surrey. (Google Maps)

13387-13381 102A Avenue Surrey tower

Site of 13390 103 Avenue, Surrey, with the tower development (green), and TransLink bus layover facility (blue). (IBI Group/ML Emporio Properties)

In its rezoning application, ML Emporio Properties is proposing to turn its development parcel at 13390 103rd Avenue into a 476-ft-tall, 43-storey condominium tower with a seven-storey rental housing podium. The architectural design firm is IBI Group.

There will be a total of 516 homes, including 422 condominium homes and 94 market rental homes. The condominium unit mix will be 132 studios, 118 one-bedroom units, 158 two-bedroom units, and 10 three-bedroom units, while the rental unit mix will be 12 studios, 60 one-bedroom units, 18 two-bedroom units, and four three-bedroom units.

On the ground level, a minor retail space of 3,700 sq ft will be included. The building’s total floor area is about 361,000 sq ft for a floor area ratio density of a floor area that is 10.4 times larger than the size of the development parcel.

Seven underground levels will provide 583 vehicle parking stalls and 628 secured bike parking spaces.

13387-13381 102A Avenue Surrey tower

Artistic rendering of 13390 103 Avenue, Surrey. (IBI Group/ML Emporio Properties)

13387-13381 102A Avenue Surrey tower

Artistic rendering of 13390 103 Avenue, Surrey. (IBI Group/ML Emporio Properties)

13387-13381 102A Avenue Surrey tower

Artistic rendering of 13390 103 Avenue, Surrey. (IBI Group/ML Emporio Properties)

IBI Group is proposing to establish a noise and visual buffer between the building and the bus layover facility, including a wall of “heavy coniferous” plantings.

However, it should be noted that the bus layover facility the City is providing to TransLink is not part of the developer’s application. The bus layover facility will come as a separate project.

The municipal government has set aside $10.2 million in its 2022 budget towards the bus layover facility.

The site is about a five-minute walk from SkyTrain Surrey Central Station and the bus loop.

13387-13381 102A Avenue Surrey tower

Site of 13390 103 Avenue, Surrey, with the tower development and TransLink bus layover facility. (IBI Group/ML Emporio Properties)

13387-13381 102A Avenue Surrey tower 8

Artistic rendering of 13390 103 Avenue, Surrey. (IBI Group/ML Emporio Properties)

A new off-street bus layover facility is needed to replace the existing bus loop, as its footprint is a part of the City-led plan to build the “Centre Block” development of over two million sq ft of commercial and institutional space. The closed North Surrey Recreation Centre is set to be redeveloped into a a 738 ft tall, 47-storey office tower — one of Metro Vancouver’s future tallest buildings — and a 328 ft tall, 19-storey mass timber office tower. The adjacent bus loop and surface parking lot are expected to be sold to SFU for a major expansion of its academic campus in the area. The master plan calls for a 20-storey and an 11-storey tower with a combined 750,000 sq ft of office and institutional floor area on the bus loop and parking lot.

The existing bus loop will be replaced by a new on-street bus exchange within Centre Block, with passenger unloading on the north side of 102nd Avenue (westbound) and boarding on the south side of Central Avenue (eastbound) opposite Civic Plaza. Based on schematics, the planned bus layover facility just a block to the west will have a capacity for up to 14 parked buses.

13387-13381 102A Avenue Surrey tower

Artistic rendering of 13390 103 Avenue, Surrey. (IBI Group/ML Emporio Properties)

13387-13381 102A Avenue Surrey tower 8

Artistic rendering of 13390 103 Avenue, Surrey. (IBI Group/ML Emporio Properties)

10275 City Parkway Centre Block Surrey

September 2021 artistic rendering of Centre Block at 10275 City Parkway, Surrey. (Hariri Pontarini Architects/Adamson Architects/City of Surrey)

10275 City Parkway Centre Block Surrey

September 2021 artistic rendering of Centre Block at 10275 City Parkway, Surrey. (Hariri Pontarini Architects/Adamson Architects/City of Surrey)

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