Surrey Updates

[Blease]

Developers planning a 50 storey building in Surrey City Centre. Building to be an education centre for international students.




http://www.thenownewspaper.com/news/392607101.html?mobile=true

[logicbomb]

Seems like a no-brainier with the development of the second SFU tower and new KPU Business Campus in 3 Civic.

That said, I really doubt those residential/dorm units will be affordable to the average student. Don't really care if the plan is to gouge international students though.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by Cypherus

Nice find. This appears to be called "LEGION VETERANS VILLAGE". Honestly, it is hard to know anything about the concepts until some application or rendering is released as part of a proposal.


Source: http://mg-architecture.ca

This building is beautiful, Any news on it?

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by Blease

Developers planning a 50 storey building in Surrey City Centre. Building to be an education centre for international students.


http://www.thenownewspaper.com/news/392607101.html?mobile=true

That's a 🞵🞵🞵🞵 podium

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by Blease

Developers planning a 50 storey building in Surrey City Centre. Building to be an education centre for international students.




http://www.thenownewspaper.com/news/392607101.html?mobile=true

Damn, that looks pretty fantastic. Hopefully it does get built and they don't cheapen the design with horribly bland and low quality materials like they did to 3 Civic Plaza.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by retro_orange

That's a 🞵🞵🞵🞵 podium

http://www.thenownewspaper.com/news/392607101.html?platform=hootsuite

The rendering and the description of the floor use allocation don't seem to match.
... so I would expect a change in the design.

i.e. Levels 4-20 should look like office space - but the rendering shows a residential-looking configuration with all around balconies
and the sky gardens don't separate uses at the proper levels.

The 550,000-square-foot "GEC Education Mega Center" project, subject to city approval, is a partnership between developer WestStone Group and CIBT Education Group (rendering pictured).

...

The would-be education centre is set to be located in City Centre, between SFU Surrey and the future Kwantlen Polytechnic University at 10240 135th Street.

Levels one to three would offer amenities including a food court, student lounge, computer centre, electronic library and conference rooms as well as office space for education consultants.

Levels four to 20 would be leased to educational institutions as their satellite campus in Surrey.

Residential suites on levels 26 to 35 would be designed for long-term stay international students and the remaining levels 36 to 50 would be "flagship student hotels" for short-term stays students and visitors.
...

http://www.thenownewspaper.com/news/392607101.html?platform=hootsuite

[CoryHolmes]

That's a good proposal, but I remain wary of the student-for-residences aspect. Will the suites be individually owned and rented out, or will a management company rent out whole blocks of suites? Will the purchase prices be affordable or will they be marketed to international "students" with a boatload of spare cash to hide?

But I'll be happy to be proven wrong and that this will be an amazing, integral part of the growing University District (tm).

[officedweller]

Sounds like they'll be rental.

[GMasterAres]

I read it as basically on-campus residence. So the building is basically one giant college campus. Rather than being spread out it is in a tower. Be interesting to see an actual proposal, isn't even on the Surrey site yet as being submitted into the city.

If the building is as designed though in that picture, the height would challenge 3 Civic and could be anywhere between 160m and 180m. Guess we shall see. Wonder if they are so ambitious to push the 600 foot mark.

Agree though the render doesn't really fit their description so I'll wait to see a planning report.

[officedweller]

Found a press release:

http://www.stockhouse.com/news/press-rel...g-to-build-gec-education-mega-center-for

This description seems to fit better:

CIBT Signs Memorandum of Understanding to build GEC Education Mega Center for $230 Million

Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCwire) - CIBT Education Group Inc. (TSX: MBA, OTCQX International: MBAIF) (“CIBT” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the WestStone Group, a leading real estate development company in Western Canada, to construct the GEC Education Mega Center in Surrey, B.C. The project is expected to cost approximately $230 million. The parties plan on finalizing the formal Purchase and Sale Agreement on or before October 31, 2016 while preparations for the development application are underway.

...

About the GEC Education Mega Center (“Mega Center”):

The proposed Mega Center is expected to be an iconic 50-storey high-rise tower, subject to city planning approval.

•The Mega Center site is located at the heart of Surrey city center immediately between Simon Fraser University and future location of Kwantlan Polytechnic University. With Surrey’s state of the art Civic Library and the iconic Surrey City Hall located within one block, along with Surrey Central SkyTrain station and the central bus loop located in front of the Mega Center and the upcoming Light Rail Transit (LRT) system on its doorstep, this is one of the most desirable and convenient locations for students and visitors.

•It is being proposed that the podium of the Mega Center (levels 1 to 2) will provide for many supporting amenities such as a food court, student lounge, computer centre, electronic library, conference rooms as well as office space for education consultants and other industry related services.

•Levels 3 to 6 will be leased to 20 educational institutions from around the world as their satellite campuses in Surrey.

•Levels 8 to 26 will be comprised of residential suites designed for long term stay international students.

•Levels 7 and 27 will be comprised of amenity space such as fitness centre and lounges for long term residents and student hotel guests.

•Upper floors from level 28 to 49 will be GEC’s flagship student hotel for short term stays.

•Level 50 will be the front desk and check in area for the student hotel.

•The Mega Center will consist of approximately 550,000 square feet and a development budget of $230 million.

To view the conceptual drawing of the Mega Center, please visit: http://cibt.net/news/emc.php

Read more at http://www.stockhouse.com/news/press-rel...tion-mega-center-for#qWHs6ePYIzTwxoCP.99

Bigger rendering:


http://cibt.net/news/emc.php


http://cibt.net/news/emc.php

This company already operates a number of student residences
- including the Viva Tower downtown and the former Best Western @ Granville & Drake.

http://www.studenthotel.ca

and its operations include Sprott-Shaw College.

So sounds like a reputable company.

[Millennium2002]

Trying to envision 20 educational institutions cramming into 3 floors... the floorplate doesn't look really big so I'm not quite seeing how that will work frankly... And also, why is the hotel check-in on the top-most floor...?

As much as I like such a tall building, the underlying intentions seem murkier...

[excel]

Front Desk and Check-in on the 50th floor?

[officedweller]

I'll bet they end up swapping the 7th (or 27th) and 50th floor functions.

BTW - 3-6 is 4 floors.
I would expect the institutions would share timeslots in the classrooms if they are just "satellites".

*********

The website also shows an "Education Super Centre" in a waterfront location.
No indication where that might be (maybe Richmond?)

... Found a press release - MOU signed in 2015 (but no progress?) sounds like Richmond:

http://www.cibt.net/news/20150619.php

More - "Global Education City":

http://www.joyce-international.com/global-education-city

[Shift]

^Nice find on the details. Too bad there is no mention of when they would expect to break ground / complete the project by, but sounds like the development application could be submitted soon. Could take a year or two to go through the process with the City, so guessing 2018 ground breaking?

Interesting to note that the tower is oriented towards what will be a new dedication of 102A Avenue, which is the street that will replace the current bus loop and link up with a re-aligned 102A at the new SFU building. This project will initiate the first bit of the 102A connection through to King George Blvd. Looks like it will initiate the start of the new urban green lane running along the east side of it too.

Building location where the black dot is:



http://www.surrey.ca/files/CityCentre_Road_Network_Appendix_V.pdf

[red-paladin]

Very cool proposal

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by excel

Front Desk and Check-in on the 50th floor?

I was wondering that too. Maybe those it's tailored to arrive by helicopter. Those arriving by car be damned.

[vanman]

This is a great proposal that would not look out of place downtown. I wish this could replace the Telus condo actually haha. It has way better proportions and no odd shaved angles to satisfy arbitrary viewcones.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by vanman

this is a great proposal that would not look out of place downtown. I wish this could replace the telus condo actually haha. It has way better proportions and no odd shaved angles to satisfy arbitrary viewcones.

+1

[scryer]

Originally Posted by Blease

Developers planning a 50 storey building in Surrey City Centre. Building to be an education centre for international students.




http://www.thenownewspaper.com/news/392607101.html?mobile=true

That said, I really doubt those residential/dorm units will be affordable to the average student. Don't really care if the plan is to gouge international students though.

Agreed. This should get a thread of its own...

Anyways this tower would help gentrify the area a lot. As soon as we have some more students, and residents (from the other towers), then the area is going to become more desirable, and eventually, more livable and less dangerous. It's a great proposal and another step in the right direction for Surrey.

[BodomReaper]

Looks awesome. Any word on the architect? Looks like it could be a Chris Dikeakos design, and they've worked with WestStone in the past.