[Surrey] King George Hub | U/C

[Klazu]

Ugh. Was the residential tower really intended to be leaning?

[officedweller]

That was someone's mock-up / joke.

Originally Posted by jhausner

The draft one is closer to the actual proposal. For the council report that sparked the first phase development permit, they reduced the back residential towers (big render above) from 4 towers down to 3 towers, and then they put a new residential tower as part of the other phase (B) on the right side. That's the brick looking thing in the back.

From the planning report (no renders in the report like the above):

Thanks!

So with the [brown] residential tower over what was supposed to be large format retail (i.e. Wal-Mart?)
- it looks like that retail space will be cut up (pierced by elevator cores, etc) and unsuitable for Wal-Mart?
Also looks like the "leaning" office tower got taller too!

It does make it look less like a suburban lifestyle village.

[GMasterAres]

They don't have any floor plans up for the second phase, just the overall layout of the project. The floorplans only cover Phase A (1) which is the Coast Capital building so not sure yes or no to your answer.

Also the square footage was never huge so it would be a small Wal-mart though again I was told last year that the original drawings that showed "Wal-mart" were just to show usage and it could be someone completely different.

Not sure if Wal-Mart would want to go into central Surrey with a big super center just in Guildford already, 1 not too far away on 88th near Scott Road, and a big Target basically across the street in Central City.

I'd expect hopefully middle to late this year for teh plans to be submitted to Surrey for the next phase which was to be that block you're sighting with the commercial space, office tower, and new residential tower.

Guess we'll find out eventually.

Their original plan says:

Phase 1 = Coast Capital
Phase 2 = Retail block with 1 x Office tower and 1/1.5 x Residential tower
Phase 3 = Second Office tower
Phase 4 = 3 x Residential Towers

Again I'm sure they can shuffle the above around any way they want and redesign future phases any way they want.

[CoryHolmes]

Originally Posted by jhausner

I was told last year

By a guy wearing an orange vest...?

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by CoryHolmes

By a guy wearing an orange vest...?

Lol no was from the developer when i sent them an enquiry.

[Anonymooser]

Poof!

[DKaz]

The liquor store on KGB at 108 is only 1.2km away. I used to live on 108 and have walked to Central City or Price Smart/Canadian Tire almost across the street many times, and other times just hopped on the Skytrain one or both ways.

[Blease]

Originally Posted by DKaz

The liquor store on KGB at 108 is only 1.2km away. I used to live on 108 and have walked to Central City or Price Smart/Canadian Tire almost across the street many times, and other times just hopped on the Skytrain one or both ways.

108 and KGB may only be 1.2km in physical terms, but a whole different world metaphorically.

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by Anonymooser

I don't see the point of a Walmart when there is already a Target at Central Mall. I certainly wouldn't complain because there's a couple items I can only get at Walmart, and Guildford is too far because I don't have a car.

Besides Walmart, I could also use a BC Liquor Store here. The only liquor store around here is "The Liquor Store" in Central Mall and they charge $14.50 for a 350ml of Bacardi Rum, $3 more than BC Liquor Store. Again, without a car, it's not like I'm going to go the 3 km up King George Blvd.

Where do you live in proximity to KGB? B-Line takes something like 7 minutes to get you from Surrey Central to Guildford if that. Actually almost as fast as driving I find. If you have a long hoof to KGB though then I can see that detracting.

I think a BC Liquor would be good as they did get rid of the liquor store that was there. There is one at 108th and KGB though. Other than that you have Fleetwood, Guildford, and King's Cross which can be a bit far to go.

[Equinox71]

Originally Posted by Anonymooser

I don't see the point of a Walmart when there is already a Target at Central Mall. I certainly wouldn't complain because there's a couple items I can only get at Walmart, and Guildford is too far because I don't have a car.

I agree with jhausner - the 96 B-line is one of the best new transit developments for the area. I find that taking the 96 can often take almost the same time as by car and frankly I often prefer to take it instead of driving, thereby avoiding ridiculous parking lot dramas and otherwise incompetent motorists on the road. I can't stand Walmart to begin with for political reasons (yup - I'm one of THOSE guys) but even if I liked shopping there, I would cringe if we got more of the same in the area. One of the things that makes an area unique is having some unique small businesses to break the monotony of big corporate ubiquity. At any rate, I can't wait to see what other transit developments we'll eventually see in the Central City area - it's a huge part of why I love living in the area.

[Whalleyboy]

Originally Posted by DKaz

The liquor store on KGB at 108 is only 1.2km away. I used to live on 108 and have walked to Central City or Price Smart/Canadian Tire almost across the street many times, and other times just hopped on the Skytrain one or both ways.

You know speaking of price smart and Canadian tire. Maybe they might look at buying in on this as they could sell their land for new development or even safeway too. All these store like being in the area but are very suburban in the way of land parking. A smart thing would be going into a more urban setting and selling off other the old land. Plus it wouldn't really hurt business probably for any of them as the group of tower is all around it.

[Anonymooser]

Poof!

[CoryHolmes]

Originally Posted by Whalleyboy

You know speaking of price smart and Canadian tire. Maybe they might look at buying in on this as they could sell their land for new development or even safeway too. All these store like being in the area but are very suburban in the way of land parking. A smart thing would be going into a more urban setting and selling off other the old land. Plus it wouldn't really hurt business probably for any of them as the group of tower is all around it.

When I talked to the Park Avenue sales team, they said that the whole block of minimalls north of 100th had been bought out and are just waiting for development.

I guess you could put as much stock in that as a guy in an orange vest, but it's what I heard.

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by Whalleyboy

You know speaking of price smart and Canadian tire. Maybe they might look at buying in on this as they could sell their land for new development or even safeway too. All these store like being in the area but are very suburban in the way of land parking. A smart thing would be going into a more urban setting and selling off other the old land. Plus it wouldn't really hurt business probably for any of them as the group of tower is all around it.

I wish. That would be the best of both worlds. If I was to hedge bets on any of the current tenants, I think Safeway would be the most likely followed closely by Price Smart. Safeway being in close proximity to the new city hall and a lot of the central developments I think would get the best bang for buck in selling their land. And now that they are owned by Sobeys owns them, there could be a drive to redevelop and modernize. The Safeway has been there a _long_ time and the land is pretty prime for redevelopment.

It would also move them away from Price Smart which is more of a direct competition in my eyes than T&T.

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by CoryHolmes

When I talked to the Park Avenue sales team, they said that the whole block of minimalls north of 100th had been bought out and are just waiting for development.

I guess you could put as much stock in that as a guy in an orange vest, but it's what I heard.

Not all of it. The mini mall from 100th to the Kal Tire has been. It's basically to sets of buildings. CIBC owns the land where CIBC/BC Bio Medical sits + the pho restaurant. 1 other developer owns the other corner where Nahm is.

Could be a decade before that site is redeveloped though due to leases.

[SpongeG]

walmart has small stores in the states designed to compete with walgreens, they want the same in canada to compete with shoppers drug mart so its possible the walmart express or very small format would work, dont expect to get more than typical drug store items there

[DKaz]

If Canadian Tire did a store in Whalley like they have on Cambie and 6th that would be sweet. Home Depot up the street and Costco across Rogers Arena are two other great examples of how traditional suburban big box stores can happily exist in an urban environment.

[Whalleyboy]

Originally Posted by DKaz

If Canadian Tire did a store in Whalley like they have on Cambie and 6th that would be sweet. Home Depot up the street and Costco across Rogers Arena are two other great examples of how traditional suburban big box stores can happily exist in an urban environment.

I always think of how that canadian tire is out there on cambie and wish whalleys one was like that. I always forget about the costco by rogers since it so well done you don't even realize if you don't go to Vancouver often like me.

It always makes me sad to see price smart and canadian tires parking lot. I feel its one of the reasons the area feels so suburban still. Its right in the center of the whole area

[DKaz]

I'm a 3 minute walk from Costco and for the longest time forgot they were there. ;D

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

walmart has small stores in the states designed to compete with walgreens, they want the same in canada to compete with shoppers drug mart so its possible the walmart express or very small format would work, dont expect to get more than typical drug store items there

On the original plans the space is about 100,000 square feet, so it is by no means tiny. In contrast I think the Safeway in Surrey Central is about 75,000 square feet or less. So it is at least the size of Safeway + some. Could still get a respectable store in that space. Super Walmarts though are like 150-220k square feet though.