Anshu Arora LLM, MSc, PMP

The massive Centre Block redevelopment in Surrey City Centre could be defined by one of Metro Vancouver’s future tallest buildings. If it were built today, it would be significantly taller than the tallest towers in downtown Vancouver.

This is a redevelopment of the city-owned property currently occupied by the permanently closed North Surrey Recreation Centre — located immediately west of SkyTrain’s Surrey Central Station, and north of Central City shopping mall. The project is being spearheaded by the municipal government as an economic development catalyst for the city centre, similar to its involvement in the 2018-built, 516-ft-tall (157 metres) 3 Civic Plaza tower just to the north.

The tall East Tower, the first phase of the redevelopment, located at the centre of the site, would have 47 floors due to the higher ceiling heights for office space compared to residential uses, with a total floor area of about 926,000 sq ft.

The height of the East Tower is 79 ft (24 metres) taller than the 659-ft (201 metres) Living Shangri-La in downtown Vancouver, the current tallest building in Metro Vancouver. It would also be slightly taller than the region’s future tallest building currently under construction — Onni Group’s Two Gilmore Place in Burnaby at 708 ft (216 metres).

But the East Tower would not surpass the height of the region’s two future tallest towers, including the 755-ft-tall (230 metres) Concord Metrotown Two tower, which is expected to be built towards the middle of this decade. There is also a proposal to build an 82-storey tower, estimated to be roughly 800 ft (243 metres) in height, next to SkyTrain’s Lougheed Town Centre Station with a mix of retail, hotel, and residential uses.

Additionally, East Tower would be the tallest office tower in Metro Vancouver, exceeding the 530-ft-tall The Stack office tower currently under construction in downtown Vancouver.

Centre Block North’s second phase is for a West Tower at the northwest corner of the development site — the southeast corner of the intersection of University Drive and Central Avenue, just south of the City Centre branch of Surrey Libraries.

This West Tower would have a height of 328-ft (100 metres) with 19 storeys, including a four-storey podium. The building’s total floor area would reach 452,000 sq ft, composed mainly of commercial office and institutional space.

Both towers combined in the application would generate a total floor area of approximately 1.37 million sq ft — roughly 90,000 sq ft larger than downtown Vancouver’s The Post development currently under construction, which is the repurposed Canada Post building for Amazon’s corporate office expansion and new retail and dining space.

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The City of Surrey is launching a pilot project aiming at slowing traffic on residential streets. The plan will see speed limits dropped to 30 km/h in three neighbourhoods, and to 40 km/h in three others.

City staff are looking to study how lower speeds affect driver behaviour, and will compare the effects of the two different speed limits. The study builds on research showing pedestrians struck by a driver at 30 km/h has a 90 per cent chance of survival, while a person struck at 50 km/h has just a 15 per cent chance of surviving, according to the city.

Signage has been installed warning drivers of the reduce speed limits and that they are entering a “slow streets area.” The lowered speed limits will be in place until December.

The South's so-called capital isn't nicknamed Hotlanta for nothing, y'all. Charismatic and lush, Atlanta is a feverish, easy-on-the-eyes cavalcade of culture, cuisine and Southern hospitality. Here are some of the best things to do in Atlanta.

Put a little South in your mouth

Atlanta's once-stuffy culinary scene has evolved over the last decade into one of the most vibrant and dynamic dining scenes in the Southeast, if not the nation. You can nosh on bountiful, filling fare around Atlanta's Southern-fried cafes or go-for-broke at many New Southern and New American foodie darlings or at trendy and upscale options – filling your belly in Atlanta ain't no joke. Top chefs like Ford Fry, Anne Quatrano, Kevin Gillespie, Kevin Rathbun and Hugh Acheson are just a few of the city's most creative cooks.