The City of Surrey, British Columbia, is embarking on one of the largest infrastructure programs in its history, launching a series of iconic projects that will transform the city’s urban fabric for the next decade.
The projects include entertainment, education, recreation and transportation, and represent hundreds of millions of dollars of investment as the city prepares to support continued population and economic growth.
Flagship developments include the City Center Arena and Cultural Event Center, Center Block, the Newton Community Center and the 72 Avenue Improvements and Extension Project, all designed to increase Surrey’s position as one of Canada’s fastest growing municipalities.
New entertainment center for Surrey City Center
The City Center Arena and Cultural Event Center is a landmark venue and will anchor Surrey’s emerging downtown entertainment district, at the heart of the city’s redevelopment plans.
The complex is located at the intersection of King George Boulevard and 104 Avenue, directly across from Surrey Central SkyTrain Station and is expected to be home to the Vancouver Giants and a major destination for sports, concerts, cultural events, conventions and community celebrations.
The first phase of development will include a 10,000-seat arena and a large public plaza designed to host a broad spectrum of entertainment and civic events.
Future phases will expand the development with a 250-room hotel, restaurants, cafés, banquet facilities, spa services and residential towers with ground floor retail, creating a mixed-use entertainment district designed to draw tourism, private investment and year-round activity.
Final agreements are anticipated to be concluded over the next year, with construction slated to begin in 2027. The arena and hotel are scheduled to open in 2030.
Center Block to be new education and innovation district
The Center Block development on city-owned land next to the former North Surrey Recreation Center will change the face of the city’s downtown core, and is a short walk from Surrey Central Station.
The full build-out of the development will add approximately two million square feet of office, institutional and retail space, significantly enhancing the employment and educational capabilities of Surrey City Center.
The first phase is a mixed use development comprising a 12 storey building with retail, office space and public areas.
The project will also include the new Simon Fraser University Stephens Family School of Medicine, the first new medical school in Western Canada in almost 60 years.
The medical school will be spread across seven floors and include lecture theaters, research laboratories, clinical training facilities and an outpatient clinic, enhancing Surrey’s growing reputation as a hub for healthcare education, research and innovation.
The development will also include a new public plaza next to the SkyTrain station.
Construction is expected to begin later this year and Phase One completion is expected in summer 2030.
Recreation, public services to be added to Newton Community Center
The Newton Community Center is one of Surrey’s biggest investments in community infrastructure at $310.6 million.
The 175,000-square-foot facility will be built on the east side of King George Boulevard, south of Newton Arena and next to the Newton Seniors Center.
The center will be a comprehensive recreation, cultural and library complex, featuring a 50-metre competition swimming pool, a leisure pool, a hot tub, a cold pool, a sauna, two full-sized gymnasiums, fitness facilities, childcare services, arts programming spaces and flexible community rooms.
The project will include a 40,000 square foot public library, more than twice the size of the current Newton branch. The expanded library will include early-learning areas, youth zones, study rooms, digital technology resources and adaptable gathering spaces.
Site prep and early construction activities began this summer following demolition work completed in 2025. The project is scheduled for completion in spring 2030.
Surrey’s biggest road spending
The 72 Avenue Improvements and Extension Project – Surrey’s largest-ever investment in road infrastructure – is at the heart of the city’s transportation plan.
This project will link a continuous east-west transportation corridor from 120 Street to 196 Street, enhancing connectivity across a number of growing neighborhoods.
The largest is a new five-kilometre extension connecting 152 Street to Highway 15.
The new roadway will feature four traffic lanes and wide shoulders to improve travel between Newton, Fleetwood, Clayton and Cloverdale and help reduce congestion on key routes including Highway 10, 64 Avenue and 88 Avenue.
Construction is already underway in parts of the corridor.
Work to widen 72 Avenue between 188 Street and 196 Street is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2026, with improvements between 144 Street and 152 Street to be completed in 2027.
Construction is underway on the new extension between 152 Street and Highway 15, with the full project expected to be completed in 2031.
These major investments will see Surrey upgrade its transportation infrastructure, expand public services, create new employment opportunities and position itself as one of Canada’s premier urban centers for business, education and entertainment.
