TransLink helps lead plan to redevelop Surrey's Newton core for 4,000 new residents | Daily Hive

City of Surrey-owned development company and TransLink lead plan to redevelop Newton neighbourhood core for 4,000 new residents

High-density concept; Newton Centre Master Development Plan. (TransLink/Surrey City Development Corporation)

A major redevelopment effort aimed at reshaping the core of Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood over the next 30 years has been unveiled through a partnership between the Surrey City Development Corporation (SCDC) and TransLink.

The newly released Newton Centre Master Development Plan today lays out a blueprint to redevelop under-utilized publicly-owned land into a dense, transit-oriented urban hub.

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This density is catalyzed and critically anchored by TransLink’s plan to build a 19-km-long Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line along King George Boulevard between SkyTrain’s Surrey Central Station and Semiahmoo Town Centre in South Surrey. Over the long term, the BRT could be upgraded to a more superior form of rapid transit, such as SkyTrain.

Currently, the bus exchange in Newton serves as the terminus for both the R1 King George Boulevard RapidBus and the R6 Scott Road RapidBus routes. The BRT would replace and extend the R1 route.

The master plan spans roughly 40 acres in the general vicinity of the key intersection of King George Boulevard and 72 Avenue. This includes 35 acres of land owned by the City of Surrey, with the City-owned, for-profit real estate company of SCDC spearheading the redevelopment potential of this land asset on the behalf of the municipal government, and another five acres owned by the public transit authority.

Newton Centre Master Development Plan Surrey SCDC TransLink

Area of the Newton Centre Master Development Plan, and the future King George Boulevard BRT. (TransLink/Surrey City Development Corporation)

Mid-density concept; Newton Centre Master Development Plan. (TransLink/Surrey City Development Corporation)

The largest development site under the master plan spans the properties east of King George Boulevard, including TransLink’s existing Newton bus exchange, surface vehicle parking lots, vacant lots, and various municipally-owned properties — such as the existing Newton Arena, Newton Recreation Centre, and Surrey Libraries’ Newton branch.

This eastern site also features the municipal government’s large site set aside for the future new $300-million Newton Community Centre, offering new replacement and expanded community spaces, an aquatic centre, library, and other facilities, and anchoring the overall Newton Centre area. There would also be a new purpose-built Newton bus exchange — a “Transit Plaza” — and dedicated bus layover parking facility, both adjacent to the area’s BRT station. All of this public transit infrastructure would be integrated with the new urban fabric created by the redevelopments.

A secondary site is smaller, situated west of King George Boulevard. Much of this western site is currently vacant, with a single large industrial building at the southern end of the site currently home to businesses such as The Brick and Value Village.

Based on the current challenging market realities, the master plan deems a mid-density concept option to be the “base plan,” with the new buildings primarily being six storeys in the earlier phases, followed by two high-rise towers closer to the new public transit hub. Under this scenario, there would be about 2.2 million sq. ft. of total building floor area, including 1.645 million sq. ft. for the eastern site and 600,000 sq. ft. on the western site. Altogether, there would be 1.9 million sq. ft. of residential uses — about 2,200 homes for 4,000 new residents, with 1,500 units for the eastern site and 680 units for the western site — as well as 154,000 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant space and 192,000 sq. ft. of civic uses.

The alternative high-density concept option is based on local market conditions improving for residential real estate, coupled with the new King George Boulevard BRT line catalyzing very strong housing demand in Newton Centre. This concept is termed as the “SkyTrain-light” version of transit-oriented development with the inclusion of more high-rise towers, reaching up to 25 storeys — generating 3.64 million sq. ft. of total building floor area, including 2.76 million sq. ft. on the eastern site and 874,000 sq. ft. on the western site. There would be 3.2 million sq. ft. of residential uses — about 3,700 new homes for 6,600 new residents, with 2,700 units on the eastern site and 970 units on the western site — along with 154,000 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant uses and 258,000 sq. ft. of civic uses.

Mid-density concept; Newton Centre Master Development Plan. (TransLink/Surrey City Development Corporation)

High-density concept; Newton Centre Master Development Plan. (TransLink/Surrey City Development Corporation)

Additionally, there would be about 16 acres of public parks and open spaces, representing roughly 40 per cent of the overall land owned by the two entities within the master plan area. The area’s new roads would be pedestrian friendly and designed for optimal use by events and festivals. Measures would be taken to protect and enhance the natural features of Newton Pond and Hyland Creek, which runs through the area to the south.

At its core, the multi-phased redevelopment aims to shift Newton from a car-oriented landscape to a pedestrian-focused, transit-connected neighbourhood that is supported by a concentration of neighbourhood-serving businesses and community and recreation facilities.

According to the master plan document, the area is positioned as “a generational opportunity for reimagining urban living,” leveraging its central location and proximity to key transportation corridors.

Mid-density concept; Newton Centre Master Development Plan. (TransLink/Surrey City Development Corporation)

This is one of TransLink’s development sites under its for-profit real estate development enterprise to generate significant long-term revenue for the public transit authority, spur ridership through strategic transit-oriented densification, and create housing benefits. Other known development projects with the public transit authority’s leadership and/or involvement include high-density, mixed-use housing projects next to SkyTrain’s future Arbutus Station and the former North Vancouver bus depot redevelopment, as well as a 9.3-acre, mixed-use development next to SkyTrain’s Coquitlam Central Station.

“The Newton Centre Master Development Plan will help create a more walkable, transit-oriented neighbourhood, and it demonstrates how our Real Estate Development Program can support housing and services while generating long-term revenue,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn in a statement.

As for SCDC, it has a mandate from the City to spur economic development within Surrey. It previously spearheaded projects such as built projects such as the 3 Civic Plaza tower, and is currently in the process of pursuing the Centre Block office development project anchored by Simon Fraser University’s new School of Medicine next to SkyTrain’s Surrey Central Station and the substantial four-tower, secured purpose-built market rental housing project with over 1,800 units next to SkyTrain’s Gateway Station.

“We’re excited to share the Newton Centre Master Development Plan — a long-term vision to transform under-utilized public lands into a vibrant, transit-oriented community at the heart of Newton,” said Bill Aujla, president and CEO of SCDC.

“This plan reflects years of community planning and will bring a mix of new homes, civic amenities, and local commercial spaces to the neighbourhood, supported by significant public investment.”

According to TransLink and SCDC, this master plan for their properties aligns with Surrey City Council’s 2020-approved Newton Centre Plan, which covers a broader area.

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