The Surrey City Development Corporation (SCDC) — the City of Surrey’s real estate subsidiary — and regional transportation provider TransLink have announced that they are partnering to “build a vibrant, compact, and transit-oriented town centre on public land” in the Newton area of Surrey.
The Newton Centre Master Development Plan outlines a vision for just under 41 acres of public land along King George Boulevard near 72 Avenue, a few blocks south of the King’s Cross Shopping Centre and just north of the 6.2-acre Newton Pond Park.
“We’re excited to share the Newton Centre Master Development Plan — a long-term vision to transform underutilized public lands into a vibrant, transit-oriented community at the heart of Newton,” said SCDC President and CEO Bill Aujla in a press release. “This plan reflects years of community planning and will bring a mix of new homes, civic amenities, and local commercial spaces to the neighbourhood, supported by significant public investment.”
The City of Surrey owns about 35.4 acres including a large vacant site on the western side of King George Boulevard, a 28-lot land assembly immediately north of Newton Pond Park, as well as an existing seniors centre, library, arena, and recreation centre. All of the facilities were built over 30 years ago. TransLink owns the remaining 5.5 acres, including a vacant 5-acre site along King George Boulevard.
The Newton Centre Master Development Plan site falls within and is enabled by the Newton Town Centre Plan that the City of Surrey approved in July 2020, which set a vision for the growth of Newton that this development plan is now acting on.
Lot 1 and 3 are owned by TransLink, while the City of Surrey owns Lot 2 and 4. (SCDC, TransLink, Arcadis)
According to the City, as of the 2021 Census, Newton was home to 159,390 residents — 28% of Surrey’s total population. The City notes it's one of Surrey's most culturally diverse pockets; 64% of Newton’s population identifies as South Asian and that 49% of Newton’s population are first generation immigrants — largely from India. Around 38% are between the ages of 35 and 64.
Newton is not serviced by SkyTrain — King George Station is a 10-minute drive north, and the extension is going east to Langley — but, in 2023, TransLink announced the creation of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) program intended as a hybrid between SkyTrain and regular buses.
Surrey was announced as one of the first planned routes, the King George Boulevard BRT, which will be able to take commuters from Surrey City Centre to Semiahmoo Town Centre near White Rock in about 40 minutes. The route will include 12 stations, one of which is planned for the intersection of King George Boulevard and 71 Avenue, allowing the area to take a transit-oriented development approach.
The overall vision for the Newton Centre Master Development Plan, which would unfold over 30 years, will see 2.2 million sq. ft of development that will include over 2,200 new homes, over 150,000 sq. ft of retail space, a new Newton Community Centre, and 15.7 acres of park and public space.
The mid-density “base” plan and the high-density plan. (SCDC, TransLink, Arcadis)
This is what the SCDC and TransLink describe as the “base” plan, however, which is based on the current “market reality” that makes high-density development less viable than low-rise and mid-rise development.
The alternative high-density plan, which is described as a “SkyTrain-light version of TOD,” would see that 2.2 million sq. ft of development and 2,200 new homes increased to 3.6 million sq. ft and 3,700 new homes, with towers between 20 and 25 storeys in addition to some six-storey buildings.
In either case, the site owned by TransLink would see the highest density. Retail space would primarily be located along the internal streets rather than along King George Boulevard, with urban grocery stores, drug stores, restaurants, quick-service restaurants, and cafes envisioned.
Either plan would also see the overall site developed as four distinct character areas, which the SCDC and TransLink are calling “Moments”: Urbanity, Connection, Livability, and Nature.
An overview of the Newton Centre Master Development Plan. (SCDC, TransLink, Arcadis)
Moments of Urbanity would be home to a new plaza that will be a “gathering place for residents of the Town Centre and the greater Newton community” and serve as the “heart” of Newton. The Newton High Street would be home to local businesses and be activated by public art.
The western side of the High Street (137 Street) would see mixed-use development, a sub-anchor retail tenant like a drug store, as well as a new Newton Exchange bus loop. The City Grove sub-area across the street would then be home to the anchor grocery store and residential buildings.
Moments of Connection would be home to Newton Crossing, a commuter-focused and pedestrian-friendly transit plaza connecting the new Newton Exchange and the new Newton Town Centre BRT station, as well as cafes and quick-service restaurants to service those passing through.
“This character area provides a tapestry of connected moments that welcome and embrace a range of generations,” said the SCDC and TransLink in their development plan. “Here, residents and visitors experience meaningful opportunities to connect, stopping on their daily commute or finding opportunities to live an active lifestyle at the Community Centre.”
The High Street. (SCDC, TransLink, Arcadis)
Newton Crossing. (SCDC, TransLink, Arcadis)
Moments of Livability then consists of the large site on the western side of King George Boulevard as well as the eastern-most portion of the overall site that would together house about half of the 2,200 envisioned homes.
The first will be home to the King George Transit Village, a “comfortable residential neighbourhood” with a green lane running through it, and a welcome plaza that will serve as a gathering space, and be home to convenience retail, and services, such as daycare.
The eastern-most portion, near Newton Pond Park, will be home to the Park Front Mews, a “quiet residential nucleus” with low-rise residential buildings and communal green spaces. The SCDC and TransLink note that the existing YWCA housing building and existing library building here will also be preserved, although the library itself will be moved to the new community centre.
Lastly, the Moments of Nature character area would include Newton Pond Park and extend to the other three character areas via a multi-modal “green connector” going west, and a “green spine and multi-use path” going north.
The King George Transit Village. (SCDC, TransLink, Arcadis)
The Park Front Mews. (SCDC, TransLink, Arcadis)
In terms of delivery, the SCDC and TransLink say their phasing strategy “seeks to balance flexibility in development timing to reflect current and future market conditions, while also delivering predictability in the timing of key infrastructural improvements.”
The first two phases will set the stage and are expected to begin as soon as this year. They will include the extension of 70 Avenue to King George Boulevard and the construction of the portion of 137 Street between 70 Avenue and 71 Avenue that will service the new community centre, which is expected to commence construction in late-2026 and be completed by Q4 2029.
Phase Three will commence next year, and include the extension of 137 Street up to 72 Avenue. Development may begin for the King George Transit Hub area on the western side of King George Boulevard.
The transit upgrades are expected to be in place around 2030, when attention will turn to the Newton Crossing parcel. The remaining parcels, which make up a majority of the new development, are not expected to occur until after 2033, “depending on the decommissioning timelines of existing civic facilities and residential and retail market demand.”
