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Surrey investing $424M in ‘ambitious’ capital infrastructure program

Plan includes 28 major projects throughout the city
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A view of Surrey City Hall. (File photo: Tom Zytaruk)

The City of Surrey has an “ambitious” capital infrastructure program including 28 projects for a total investment of $424 million, according to a report from the city manager.

Vincent Lalonde’s report was approved by council on Monday, March 7, providing an update for the winter of 2021 and spring of 2022.

“As part of the Surrey Invest Program, Council identified nine new projects for inclusion in the City’s 2022 Capital Program,” he notes in a corporate report. “In addition to the previously identified key projects, the City has an ambitious Capital Program which includes 28 significant projects representing a total investment of $424 million.”

Coun. Laurie Guerra said Lalonde’s report “shows how we are building an amazing city for the future.

“What an incredible report this is.”

Major projects include Newton Community Centre & Land Acquisition ($100M), Cloverdale Sport & Ice Complex ($55.1M), City Centre Sports Complex ($40M), Bear Creek Park Athletics Centre ($27.5M), 7.5 kilometres of Colebrook Dyke Upgrades ($25M), King George Nicomekl Bridge Replacements ($22M), Nicomekl Riverfront Park ($19.5M), Fraser Highway Widening between 138 Street and 148 Street ($17M), 32 Avenue Corridor: King George Boulevard to 160 Street ($16M), CMHC Rapid Housing Initiative: Little’s Place Project ($16.4M), 20 Avenue / Highway 99 Overpass ($14M), CMHC Rapid Housing Initiative: Youth Housing ($13.8M), 84 Avenue Connector: King George Boulevard to 140 Street ($13M), 152 Street Road Widening ($10M), South Surrey Athletic Park Track Replacement & New Artificial Turf Field ($6M), Tamanawis Park – 3rd Field Hockey Turf and Changeroom ($5.7M).

“This amazing and well worth celebrating,” Guerra said. Coun. Linda Annis said she is “really pleased” to see the dyke upgrades “particularly in the event of what’s happened in Abbotsford and I hope this will make us a little safer from flooding.”

Fifty per cent of funding for the road and dyke projects comes from the provincial government, council heard from staff. Annis also asked if the city can access federal or provincial funding for housing, “and in particular some co-op housing that currently exists in Surrey that’s having some unique challenges in staying operational.”

She was told the city is actively looking at what opportunities it has available to access funding from the federal and provincial governments to help the on the “co-op housing front.”

READ ALSO: Surrey council authorizes nearly $13 million for public works projects

Surrey’s major projects also include Newton New Synthetic Turf Field, Walking Loop & Washroom/Changeroom ($5.5M), Artificial Turf Field Replacements at Five Locations ($4M), Police Training Facility ($4M), North Surrey Outdoor Sport Facility ($3.7M), Disc Golf at Port Mann Park ($2.126M), South Surrey Indigenous Carving Centre ($1.5M), Sunnyside Reservoir Pickleball & Bike Park ($0.8M), New Park Washrooms ($0.75M), Crescent Park Pickleball Courts ($0.6M), North Surrey Indigenous Carving Centre ($0.5M), Outdoor Volleyball Courts ($0.3M), and New Park Shelters ($0.15M).

Coun. Jack Hundial said while he supports the report, “these are tax dollars. These are revenue which is collected from the citizens of Surrey so I certainly think that we should be thanking them first and foremost for contributing to this.”

READ ALSO: Surrey to consider aligning drinking water conservation plan with Metro Vancouver’s

Lalonde notes in his report that the City of Surrey “has seen significant residential and commercial development over the last few years and will continue to see ongoing development with commercial expansion, additional high-rise construction and an increase in the number of post-secondary intuitions that are currently underway.”

Over the next five years (2022- 2026), he reports, Surrey’s growing population will “benefit from new and improved recreation facilities, arenas, sports fields, parks, and arts & culture amenities through Surrey Invests.”

Coun. Doug Elford wondered out loud if other cities have accomplished what Surrey has “with these type of capital projects out there.

“These accomplishments, in this short period of time, it’s quite remarkable.”

Mayor Doug McCallum echoed that. “I find that we’re miles ahead of any other large city in Canada as far as building infrastructure projects and that’s because of the fact that our staff have worked extremely hard, very fiscally responsible in our budgets.

“But also the taxpayers, who recognize that with the fast growth we need to also build the infrastructure,” he said.



tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com

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About the Author: Tom Zytaruk

I write unvarnished opinion columns and unbiased news reports for the Surrey Now-Leader.
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