Council Approves Office and Employment Strategy

On March 28, 2022, Council approved an update to the City Centre Plan to incorporate policies that encourage office and employment growth. The update includes land use changes that introduce employment space requirements for key City Centre locations. This establishes a Central Business District in the core of City Centre where office development will be prioritized. Development will come in the form of standalone office towers as well as mixed-use buildings that include a significant office component. A Health and Technology District is also created in the vicinity of Surrey Memorial Hospital that will support high density office development. In the coming months, some refinements will be undertaken to the office requirements for mixed-use buildings.

The update also includes the creation of an Entertainment and Cultural District integrated with the Central Business District. The intent of this is to support office growth by encouraging the types of businesses and amenities that are important to both office workers and their employers and that are typically found in vibrant downtowns. Additional work will be undertaken in the coming months to establish a vision for the Entertainment and Cultural District.

With these changes, Surrey will protect centrally located, transit accessible land for long-term employment growth and preserve space near major institutions for future expansion. It will also make City Centre more attractive as an office centre and allow for a critical mass of office space to develop in the coming years.

Review the Report to Council.