Could the south bank of the Fraser River in Surrey one day be a thriving waterfront district like Granville Island or North Vancouver’s Shipyards?
It’s a question City of Surrey staff will now explore with the council vote last week to launch a feasibility study on transforming the heavily industrialized area into a landmark destination.
The area in question occupies the waterfront slice of an area Surrey calls South Westminster, directly across the river from New Westminster and bordered at one end by the new Pattullo bridge, Scott Road and the Manson Canal.
“Surrey is the fastest growing city in B.C. Soon we will be bigger than Vancouver and we don’t have an iconic spot and, to me, we’ve got this beautiful river space and let’s do something in a really meaningful way about it,” Surrey city councillor Linda Annis said.
The idea is still in its infancy, with any meaningful decision years away.
The proposal also faces a complex path forward, with the area currently home to multiple stakeholders including private companies, CN Rail and the Vancouver Port Authority.
The latter body is already on record as strongly wanting to preserve the limited supply of industrial land in the area.
“It is a very ambitious proposal, but at the same time this kind of study tries to ground it to reality,” said Andy Yan, director of Simon Fraser University’s City Program.
“The infrastructure that is there really was never developed to support mid and high-density neighbourhoods, which can be very expensive when you think about new sewage and water lines.”
People living in the adjacent Brownville RV Park are also concerned, telling Global News they fear the loss of one of the region’s last affordable places to live.
“There are people who are counting on these places to be able to live here because that’s what they can afford. I know I’m not the only one,” resident Darren Pinner said.
“I’m trying to raise three kids, I can’t pay $5,000 or whatever it is for a three-bedroom place for what our kids need. That’s just not in our budget.”
If the proposal were to move forward beyond a feasibility study, the city says residents would have the chance to weigh in through public hearings.
Technical studies are also necessary to consider transportation and flood risk issues.
“I look at other places that have utilized riverfront or oceanfront and there can be a happy marriage between the two,” Annis said.
“We’ve got to start engaging with our stakeholders to find that sweet spot that works for both the city, the residents, people around the Lower Mainland as well as the businesses.”
The waterfront district feasibility study is expected to be complete by the spring of 2026.
Meanwhile, council approved land use designations for the wider South Westminster Neighbourhood Concept Plan last Monday, calling for the creation of a “transit village” with housing and retail spaces in the Scott Road station area.