Surrey's Scott Road plan quadruples future population to 160,000

Surrey's new Scott Road-72 Avenue corridor area plan quadruples future population to up to 160,000

Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre in Surrey. (CBRE Vancouver)

Another area planning strategy focused around intensifying transit-oriented development was recently approved by Surrey City Council.

The “Imagine Scott Road Visioning Study” provides the planning framework to guide the long-term development of an L-shaped area in the northwest corner of Surrey, along the Surrey side of Scott Road and along 72 Avenue.

This 8.4 sq km area is anchored by TransLink’s new R6 RapidBus route, which runs along Scott Road/120 Street and 72 Avenue between SkyTrain Scott Road Station and the Newton bus exchange. It is anticipated that the increased density along this corridor, as a result of the area plan, will lead to an improved R6 RapidBus service in the future, potentially upgrading to a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) standard or even rail-based rapid transit.

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Generally, the strategy envisions the greatest densities on sites closest to Scott Road/120 Street and 72 Avenue, and especially near the existing RapidBus stops.

The area plan is divided into three main sub-areas — Townline (north sub-area) between 100 Avenue and 90 Avenue, Kennedy (central sub-area) between the BC Southern Railway/90 Avenue and 78 Avenue, and Strawberry Hill (south sub-area) for the areas that include and surround Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre and Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU).

imagine scott road visioning study surrey area plan

Location of the Scott Road corridor area plan. (City of Surrey)

Three main sub-areas of the Scott Road corridor in Surrey. (City of Surrey)

“The existing large commercial sites between 75A Avenue and 72 Avenue provides significant longterm redevelopment opportunities. Future secondary planning will seek a deeper understanding of these sites’ operational constraints, lease obligations, and long-term redevelopment feasibility,” reads the City’s strategy for considering the long-term redevelopment of the 35-acre Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre.

“Within these areas, community/cultural amenities, public gathering spaces, and transportation and infrastructure upgrades are expected as part of redevelopment.”

As for KPU, the City will take into account the university’s 2050 campus master plan, which identifies significant new student housing as one of the objectives.

According to City of Surrey staff, the provincial government’s new small-scale, multi-unit housing legislation will have a major impact on the area plan. Separately, the province’s Transit-Oriented Areas legislation will influence a 400-metre radius around Scottsdale bus exchange, which is located at the north end of Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre.

Location of the Scott Road corridor area plan. (City of Surrey)

City staff have also indicated their intention to add more high-density development near the intersection of Scott Road/120 Street and 80 Avenue. The 37-storey Delta Rise condominium tower, built in 2017 on the Delta side of Scott Road/120 Street at this intersection and the first and only high-rise building along the Scott Road/120 Street corridor, serves as a focal point for new density in the area on both the Surrey and Delta sides of the street.

Currently, the study area has a residential population of about 41,000 people living in approximately 12,200 homes, with 64% of residents being of South Asian descent. About 59% of residents own their homes, while 41% rent. The area also has approximately 4,500 existing jobs, with the majority in the industrial sector.

Over the long term, once the area plan is fully implemented, the City’s preliminary forecasts estimate that there could be between 33,000 and 51,000 additional homes, leading to a new residential population of between 105,000 and 160,000 residents — up to four times the current population.

The number of jobs could also increase significantly, reaching between 14,000 and 24,000. This projection is based on maintaining and intensifying the existing supply of industrial and mixed-use employment uses, as well as ensuring no net loss of commercial floor area through new development.

“The Imagine Scott Road Visioning Study is an important step forward for our city. With the introduction of RapidBus along this route, a framework was needed to guide longer-term land use planning along the transit corridor, which is one of the busiest in the region,” said Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke.

“This plan will not only improve the daily lives of our residents and commuters, but also pave the way for the creation of new homes and vibrant neighbourhoods, meeting the growing demands of our rapidly expanding city.”

These figures represent the future potential for the eastern side of the Scott Road/120 Street corridor in the City of Surrey. Meanwhile, the City of Delta is developing a densification plan for the western side of the corridor, supported by the initial Delta Rise tower and other major redevelopment proposals.

The City of Delta is currently in the process of considering the redevelopment of the six-acre Delta Shoppers strip mall at 8037-8087 120 Street (located just north of Delta Rise) into two 32-storey towers and a range of low- and mid-rise structures, containing 876 homes (a mix of condominiums and rental housing), 114,000 sq ft of office space, and 71,000 sq ft of retail and restaurant uses.

Draft OCP changes: Western side of the Scott Road/120 Street corridor in North Delta. (City of Delta)

8037-8087 120 Street Delta Shoppers Mall

Site of Delta Shoppers Mall at 8037-8087 120 Street, Delta. (Google Maps)

Artistic rendering of the redevelopment of Delta Shoppers Mall at 8037-8087 120 Street, Delta. (Arcadis/Value Property Group)

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