Surrey, British Columbia, is moving ahead with one of the most ambitious development programs in the city’s history, with four major projects expected to transform its entertainment, education, recreation and transportation infrastructure over the next decade.
The City Centre Arena and Cultural Event Centre, Centre Block, the Newton Community Centre and the 72 Avenue improvements and extension together represent hundreds of millions of dollars in investment. The projects are designed to support Surrey’s continued population growth while creating new employment, recreation and transportation opportunities.
New arena to anchor Surrey’s entertainment district
The proposed City Centre Arena and Cultural Event Centre is planned as the centerpiece of Surrey’s emerging downtown entertainment district.
The project will be located at the southwest corner of King George Boulevard and 104 Avenue, next to the Surrey Central SkyTrain Station.
Phase one will include a 10,000-seat arena and public plaza for hockey games, concerts, cultural performances, conventions and community events.
The venue is expected to become the future home of the Vancouver Giants while also serving as a major regional destination for sports and entertainment.
Future phases are planned to expand the development with a 250-room hotel, restaurants, a coffee shop, banquet facilities, spa services and residential towers featuring ground-floor retail.
The broader development is intended to attract tourists, major events and private-sector investment to Surrey City Centre.
Definitive agreements are expected to be completed within the next year, with construction anticipated to begin in 2027. Completion of the arena and hotel is targeted for 2030.
Centre Block brings medical education downtown
Just steps from Surrey Central Station, Centre Block is being developed on city-owned land beside the former North Surrey Recreation Centre.
The project will be delivered in two phases and is ultimately expected to provide two million square feet of office, institutional and retail space.
The first phase will feature a 12-storey mixed-use building with street-level retail, office space and a shared lobby.
Its most significant component will be Simon Fraser University’s Stephens Family School of Medicine, the first new medical school established in Western Canada in nearly 60 years.
The medical school will occupy seven floors and include classrooms, research laboratories, clinical skills training facilities and an outpatient clinic.
Beyond medical education, the development is expected to strengthen Surrey’s position as an employment and innovation centre. A public plaza next to the SkyTrain station is also planned.
Construction is scheduled to begin later in 2026, with the first phase expected to be completed in summer 2030.
$310.6 million Newton Community Centre
Surrey is also advancing one of its largest recreation investments in Newton.
The $310.6 million Newton Community Centre will create a 175,000-square-foot recreation, cultural and library complex serving one of the city’s fastest-growing communities.
The facility will be built on the east side of King George Boulevard, south of Newton Arena and next to the Newton Seniors Centre.
Plans include a 50-metre competition pool, leisure pool, hot tub, cold pool and sauna. The centre will also feature two full-sized gymnasiums, a fitness centre, childcare spaces, arts programming areas and flexible community rooms.
A new 40,000-square-foot library will be a major component of the development. It will be more than twice the size of the existing Newton branch and will include early-learning areas, youth spaces, study rooms, technology resources and flexible gathering areas.
Demolition was completed in 2025, while site preparation and early construction work began this summer. The facility is scheduled for completion in spring 2030.
Surrey’s largest road investment
The fourth major project focuses on transportation infrastructure.
The 72 Avenue improvements and extension project represents the largest road investment in Surrey’s history and is intended to improve east-west travel across the municipality.
The overall project will create a continuous transportation corridor from 120 Street to 196 Street through a series of widening and extension projects.
A central component is a new five-kilometre extension connecting 152 Street with Highway 15. The extension will include four travel lanes and wide shoulders, improving connections between Newton, Fleetwood, Clayton and Cloverdale.
The city expects the project to improve traffic flow, reduce congestion on routes including Highway 10, 64 Avenue and 88 Avenue, and accommodate growing transportation demand.
Several sections are already under construction.
The widening between 188 Street and 196 Street is expected to be completed in fall 2026, while improvements between 144 Street and 152 Street are scheduled for completion in 2027.
The major extension between 152 Street and Highway 15 is currently under construction and is expected to be completed in 2031.
Together, the four projects represent a long-term effort to expand Surrey’s economic, educational, recreational and transportation infrastructure as the municipality continues to grow.
