Construction begins on 23-storey office tower next to Surrey Memorial Hospital

Artistic rendering of City Centre 4 (foreground) and City Centre 5 (background) at 9682 137 Street, Surrey. (WA Architects/Lark Group)

Another phase of Lark Group’s Health and Technology District (HTD) within Surrey City Centre has entered the construction phase.

The City Centre 4 office tower will be the single largest and tallest building of the HTD to date, reaching a height of about 331 ft (101 metres) with 23 storeys with 359,000 sq ft of commercial space.

It is being built on a largely vacant 72,000 sq ft lot at 9682 137 Street — just north of the previously completed City Centre 2 building, strategically within the immediate area north of Surrey Memorial Hospital.

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About 75,000 sq ft of space over five floors will be dedicated to much-sought wet lab space for life science, biomanufacturing, and research organizations.

Based on the application submitted to the City, approved this past spring, the tower will entail 266,000 sq ft of office space, 43,000 sq ft of post-secondary education space, 21,500 sq ft of medical office space, 4,700 sq ft of restaurant space, and 25,800 sq ft of other commercial uses.

9682 137 Street Surrey City Centre 4 Health and Technology District Lark Group

Artistic rendering of City Centre 5 (right) and City Centre 4 (left) at 9682 137 Street, Surrey. (WA Architects/Lark Group)

Artistic rendering of City Centre 4 at 9682 137 Street, Surrey. (WA Architects/Lark Group)

“We are blazing a trail in Surrey’s business and innovation landscape with the continuing expansion and growth momentum of the Health and Technology District,” said Kirk Fisher, senior vice president of Lark Group, in a statement.

“The incredible demand for office and wet lab space, especially in Surrey which is one of Canada’s fastest-growing large cities, propels us forward with the construction of our City Centre 4 building, and City Centre 5 following quickly thereafter. The District plays a crucial role in helping transform the city’s downtown core and attracting businesses and institutions to Surrey.”

It is anticipated future phases of the HTD campus could accommodate as much as one million sq ft of space that is suitable for wet laboratories.

Designed by WA Architects, City Centre 4 will be built to a LEED Gold green building standard for certification. Its various uses will be supported by 638 vehicle parking stalls within six underground levels. It is also about an eight-minute walk from SkyTrain King George Station.

If all goes as planned, construction could reach completion in late 2025.

Artistic rendering of City Centre 4 at 9682 137 Street, Surrey. (WA Architects/Lark Group)

The various completed phases of Lark Group’s Health and Technology District, and the future City Centre 4 and City Centre 5 phases. (Lark Group)

Lark Group suggests its decision to proceed is based on its confidence in the area’s growth into a health-focused business and innovation hub, with new institutional organizations making it clear they are interested in establishing a sizeable presence in the area.

The University of British Columbia recently acquired strata office space within Lark Group’s City Centre 1 building for their Master of Physical Therapy, and this is in addition to their investment in acquiring a significant property nearby for a mixed-use, purpose-built satellite campus development.

The Surrey Board of Trade is also adding its presence within HTD, with the opening of its second location as part of a co-ownership deal with Western Community College to launch the Surrey Technology and Skills Centre.

The first three HTD buildings in existence — City Centre 1, City Centre 2, and City Centre 3 — have a combined total floor area of roughly 500,000 sq ft. Future phases of HTD on adjacent lots could add an additional million sq ft, generating employment spaces for 15,000 people or more. This includes a slightly shorter future phase — known as City Centre 5 — immediately to the north of City Centre 4.

A large plaza area activated by retail/restaurant uses will separate the City Centre 4 and City Centre 5 towers.

Artistic rendering of City Centre 5 (right) and City Centre 4 (left) at 9682 137 Street, Surrey. (WA Architects/Lark Group)

Artistic rendering of City Centre 4 at 9682 137 Street, Surrey. (WA Architects/Lark Group)

Artistic rendering of City Centre 5 at 9682 137 Street, Surrey. (WA Architects/Lark Group)

Artistic rendering of City Centre 4 (foreground) and City Centre 5 (background) at 9682 137 Street, Surrey. (WA Architects/Lark Group)

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