White Rock planning new 12-storey City Hall and community hub | Daily Hive

Proposed surface vehicle parking lot redevelopment of 1510 Johnston Road into the new White Rock City Hall. (City of White Rock)

White Rock City Hall may relocate to a newly built, modern facility in the core of the designated White Rock Town Centre.

After conducting preliminary technical studies, the City of White Rock will now begin planning a new City Hall, fully integrated into a new mixed-use development that will double as a major community hub. This move follows White Rock City Council’s decision this week to endorse a strategy recommended by City staff.

“This Community Hub is more than just a building — it’s an investment in our city’s future,” said White Rock Mayor Megan Knight in a statement today.

“It will be a place where people of all ages can come together, access essential services, and build a stronger, more connected community. We are committed to creating a space that reflects the needs and aspirations of White Rock residents for years to come.”

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The municipal government’s proposal involves constructing a new 12-storey building at the surface vehicle parking lot of 1510 Johnston Road — located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Russell Avenue and Johnston Road, in an area where there is a growing cluster of new high-rise residential towers rising in both White Rock and South Surrey.

This site is just one block south of Semiahmoo Shopping Centre and the Surrey-White Rock municipal border, and about three blocks north of the existing City Hall at 15322 Buena Vista Avenue. Compared to City Hall’s current location, the new site is much more accessible to public transit services, as it is immediately adjacent to TransLink’s White Rock Centre on-street bus exchange.

15322 buena vista avenue 1510 johnston road white rock city hall

Existing location of White Rock City Hall at 15322 Buena Vista Avenue (bottom) and the proposed new location at 1510 Johnston Street (top), with the walking distance between sites shown. (Google Maps)

15322 buena vista avenue white rock city hall

Existing White Rock City Hall at 15322 Buena Vista Avenue. (Google Maps)

According to City staff, the main three-storey City Hall building, constructed in 1959, has exceeded its lifespan and can no longer meet the municipality’s growing needs. The adjacent one-storey City Hall Annex, built in 1984, faces similar challenges.

Moreover, these buildings have long been a seismic concern for the municipal government.

The existing City Hall buildings are located on White Rock’s civic campus block, alongside separate buildings housing the White Rock RCMP headquarters, White Rock Fire Department, White Rock Library, and Evergreen Childcare Centre.

At the 14,420 sq ft site of 1510 Johnston Road, the new 12-storey building would have new replacement and expanded City Hall facilities including municipal administrative offices and a new City Council chamber/theatre. City staff previously noted in 2024 that a mixed-use development on this site can accommodate the needed 35,000 sq ft City Hall floor area — serving a small municipality with a residential population of over 22,000 people, living within a land area of only 5.2 sq km.

This stacked facility — with floor plate sizes of about 10,000 sq ft per level — would also incorporate a major community hub featuring a new replacement 5,000 sq ft public library and 3,500 sq ft childcare facility, as well as additional community services such as senior programs, youth support services, cultural activities, and shared community spaces.

“This Community Hub is a cornerstone of White Rock’s future,” said Guillermo Ferrero, Chief Administrative Officer of the City. “It will provide essential municipal and community services in a one-stop, central, and accessible location.”

Additional uses in this new building would include 3,500 sq ft of retail space and underground parking.

1510 Johnston Road new white rock city hall

Proposed surface vehicle parking lot redevelopment of 1510 Johnston Road into the new White Rock City Hall. (City of White Rock)

Under City Council’s direction, City staff are also exploring the possibility of a taller building than 12 storeys to incorporate more community services and introduce affordable housing above the City Hall and community hub uses.

Previous preliminary technical studies contemplated an option of an increased tower height reaching 25 storeys to accommodate the extra inclusion of 500 strata ownership market condominium homes, which could generate a profit of over $23 million for the municipal government after all construction costs are accounted for.

Prior to arriving at the 12-storey concept at the off-campus location of 1510 Johnston Road, the municipal government considered a range of concept options, including redeveloping the existing City Hall site, with these alternative existing site options coming at a greater cost or even a negative net financial loss to the municipal government.

Even without market housing, the proposed 12-storey concept for 1510 Johnston Road would still generate an estimated profit of about $3 million, as it enables the sale of the existing City Hall, White Rock Library, and Evergreen Childcare Centre properties for for-profit residential developments.

In addition to selling City-owned properties, the construction of the new development could be funded by municipal reserves, which are expected to reach $20.5 million by the end of 2025. This includes $5.7 million for the new City Hall space, $4.2 million in unassigned community amenity contributions (CACs), and $10.6 million from the Affordable Housing Reserve Fund.

The goal is to complete this project without raising taxes or borrowing additional funds. For the potential affordable housing component, the municipal government will collaborate with BC Housing and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to explore possible funding opportunities from the provincial and federal governments.

City Council chamber at the existing White Rock City Hall at 15322 Buena Vista Avenue. (City of White Rock)

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