Surrey's downtown core has seen huge growth in recent years. How much more can it handle?

Manvir Pangly at City Centre in Surrey. He supports the mayor's vision of building a large arena to be used for sporting events and entertainment located near city hall. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG

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Surrey City Centre, earlier known as downtown Whalley, was once viewed as one of the most dangerous areas in the Lower Mainland, plagued by shootings, property theft and substance use.

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Until it was cleared out in 2018, the notorious “Surrey Strip” housed more than 150 residents in a tent city along 135A Street.

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But the city’s downtown has undergone a transformation over the last several years — a new city hall near a massive library, nearby campuses for Simon Fraser University and Kwantlen Polytechnic University that continue to expand, an explosion of high-rise buildings and an infusion of new businesses. Holland Park is now home to many large-scale events, such as a major music festival.

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December 17, 2017. The tent city on the Surrey Strip. PNG

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The future vision for the area, however, is shaping up to be a significant election issue.

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Some favour expansion with new venues for concerts, sports and cultural events, luxury hotels and conference facilities, and more office and retail space. Others worry that such new development and density will increase the cost of living in an area often regarded for its affordability.

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Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke has promised a luxury hotel, conference rooms, residential towers and a 10,000-seat sports and entertainment arena right across from city hall.

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“Bringing this arena to Surrey means jobs, investment, conference capacity, and major sports, arts and entertainment like never before. We’re already the economic powerhouse of the region, and this is another step in Surrey’s rise as a world-class city,” Locke said in July.

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Whalley used to have a couple of hotels, but they were far from luxurious. The Flamingo, opened in 1955, deteriorated over the decades and became known for its fair share of fights, stabbings and shady customers. Nearby sat the low-income Dell Hotel before it closed in 2011.

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The Flamingo hotel in Whalley in 2001. Peter Battistoni/Vancouver Sun Photo by Peter Battistoni /Vancouver Sun

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Dan Cupa, senior vice-president of the residential department at Bosa Properties, which has had a presence in the area for more than 10 years and been a part of its transformation, sees a lot of opportunities for growth.

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“We’ve seen massive improvements to the area over the years. It started with obviously the relocation of city hall, and that was a massive commitment and investment by the city in terms of the beginning of the City Centre vision,” Cupa said.

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Now, the extension of the SkyTrain to Langley and commitments to bring more entertainment venues will “drive additional demand and create more opportunities for growth,” he said.

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By 2030, “I think you’ll start to really feel that sort of transition, that sort of moment. I think it will feel like a bit of an inflection point as to the vision that first came forward 15 years ago.”

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Manvir Pangly, 26, who was born and raised in Surrey and frequents the downtown area, says people he knows are often shocked to see the town centre’s transformation.

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“Even King George Hub itself is shocking for people,” Pangly said of the mixed-use development filled with restaurants, shopping and housing.