Several towers, with one as high as 70 storeys, are being promised for Surrey’s City Centre as part of a $1.6-billion development over the next 15 years.

Berezan Management Ltd. announced Thursday its plans to develop the property on King George Highway, near the SkyTrain terminus at 100 Avenue.

“We are very excited about this project,” said Ralph Berezan in a release. ”Despite the current level of economic uncertainty, we are confident in the long-term potential of Surrey’s City Centre…”

The project would be on approximately 10 acres of land and would consist of a 70-storey multi-use building (office and residential), a 55-storey hotel and office complex as well as 3 residential towers of 40 to 50 storeys which would include residential housing, assisted living and affordable housing.

All of the buildings would sit on a large shopping mall, with movie theatres, entertainment centres, and include open roof top gardens and a huge open gathering area for the general public. This area would include gardens, waterfalls, open restaurants, open markets, shops and cultural exhibition

One of the towers is expected to contain a vertical farm, with several floors of agriculture.

“It is our intention to make this project carbon-neutral while provide job opportunities for people in Surrey,” Berezan said.

Further details will be posted as they become available on www.surreyleader.com and also in the Sunday Leader.

[Surrey Leader]

You may not know this, as I sure didn’t, but when SkyTrain was first being extended to Surrey, many huge developments like this were planned.

Gateway had an 11 tower residential and office complex, of which four buildings were completed. Plans now call for four, green, mixed use residential and office towers, along with several other residential towers nearby.

Surrey Central had a huge open air civic and entertainment complex, in the style of Granville Island, which never saw the light of day. Plans now call for a second Central City tower that would incorporate (rumours here) city hall, a new library and performing arts centre, and office space.

And King George had a development proposed, named the King George Commons, very very similar to the one being proposed today. It included a hotel, highrise office complex, a convention centre, pools, an ice rink, cinemas, restaurants, pubs, a library, post office, and over 1000 residential units. 

Funny how history seems to repeat itself.